Posts Tagged ‘ironstone china’

Dressing Tables, Mirrors and Washstands
Restoration appearance of the dressing table—lowboys and kneehole dressing tables—tables with fitted interiors—Vauxhall glass and Restoration wall mirrors—development of table mirrors with desk bases-18th-century wall mirrors—the mirror with candle sockets and arms—lightly made washstands of the 18th century.
Small side tables were used as dressing tables prior to the Restoration but were not constructed specifically for this purpose. Even during the latter half of the 17th century small occasional tables with a shallow drawer under the top were used in bedrooms and dressing rooms for holding toilet preparations and hand mirrors. Standing table mirrors had not yet been introduced and rectangular wall mirrors with wide convex frames were hung upon the wall above the tables used for dressing.
It was not until the reign of William and Mary that
dressing tables, which were designed for the purpose,
appeared on the scene. This type of table is sometimes
referred to as a writing table and in America is known as a
lowboy. It was constructed with two small drawers above a
single, long drawer and usually stood on four cabriole
legs. Like most of the furniture of the period it was made
in veneered, burr walnut. Some versions had a single,
shallow drawer situated under the table top with deeper
and narrower drawers at either side. Another class of
dressing table which was made about the same time was
the knee-hole pattern. This consisted of two nests of small
drawers on either side of a recessed cupboard. Any doubt
as to whether this piece of furniture might have been designed as a knee-hole desk may be dispelled wherever a pull-out brushing or dressing slide is found immediately under the top.
During the first quarter of the 18th century a further development occurred when the dressing table top was made to open like a chest lid. On the underside a framed rectangular mirror was fitted and the space immediately beneath was divided by partitions into numerous receptacles and boxes for holding cosmetics, pins and all the paraphernalia of the toilet set. The dressing table with the lift-up top and fitted interior continued to be made during the greater part of the long Georgian period, often without any drawers at all. On the other hand, there was a vogue for small chests of drawers, where the top drawer contained a mirror and fitted interior, which would also serve as dressing tables.
In an earlier chapter, mention was made of certain ingenious designs for small articles of furniture which were intended for some particular purpose and among these may be included the poudreuse. This was a small dressing table in which a central section of the top opened back to reveal a toilet mirror. On either side of this were two circular lids, let into the table top, which gave access to the powder containers beneath. This was for use in a time when both men and women wore elaborately dressed wigs which were always kept profusely powdered.
Before giving a more detailed description of the types of mirror used during the 17th and 18th centuries, a note on the development of mirror glass production in the British Isles during this time might prove helpful. The manufacture of clear plate glass for mirrors, except in rather small sizes, was not possible before the Restoration. The Duke of Buckingham sponsored the opening of a glassworks at Vauxhall in London about 1665, and a process for making larger sheets of glass was developed here. Because of the method of silvering then in use the makers were unable to produce mirrors of more than 4 feet in length. The thickness of the glass was appreciably less than that of later mirrors and one of the most important characteristics of these early examples was the very slight bevel which was ground on the edges. The steeper and sharper bevel belongs to those mirrors produced during the 19th century or later. Vauxhall glass continued to be made until nearly the end of the Georgian period and mirrors were also manufactured at certain other glasshouses, such as the one at Southwark.
As already mentioned, Restoration mirrors were surrounded with wide, convex framing which is sometimes referred to as bolection moulding. The frame was usually veneered with burr walnut, oystershell or flower marquetry. It was not until the later William and Mary period that swing-mirrors mounted on a stand were introduced. These were rectangular in shape with slightly incurving upper corners. They were pivoted on two straight uprights which fitted into a base containing a till of small drawers. A number of these early mirror bases were quite deep and sometimes had the appearance of miniature bureaux.
Later in the 18th century, bases became somewhat more shallow and had flat tops with serpentine or bow fronts which matched the dressing tables or chests of drawers upon which they were designed to stand. The uprights from which the mirror was suspended were also shaped and the mirrors were set in an oval framing or in one of shield or similar form. Towards the end of the century many small standing mirrors were made which had feet but no bases with drawers.
As the 18th century progressed new methods of silvering enabled larger mirrors to be made and these were usually framed in the architectural tradition with a frieze, cornice and pediment above. Those which were made to hang between the long sash windows of the Georgian withdrawing rooms were known as pier glasses. A small side table of similar design was often placed below the mirror or a console table with one elaborate supporting leg in the centre.
Convex mirrors were in favour after the introduction of sideboards in the time of Adam and Hepplewhite. It is said that they were designed to be hung above the sideboard so that the butler, without embarrassing the diners by too obviously overlooking, could watch the progress of the meal reflected in the mirror and could more unobtrusively direct his waiting servants in their duties. These convex mirrors with an ebony bezel and deep cavetto frames, decorated with a series of small gilded balls, date from those years around the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
The overmantel mirror was another pattern which was becoming more popular during the later Georgian period. It was introduced about 1745 at a time when fireplaces were beginning to be made smaller. This type of mirror was very often designed with three glass panels, one larger central mirror being flanked by two smaller ones. They were frequently produced with architectural embellishments in the Adam style and the frieze above the glass carried a conventional design of husks in swags, ribbons and medallions or a low-relief group of classical figures. As the 19th century progressed the overmantel mirror was made in one large sheet of glass which steadily increased in size until it almost filled the entire wall space over the mantelpiece.
Because it was realised that a good reflecting surface would increase the volume of light, many 18th century wall mirrors were equipped with branches and candle sockets. Small mirrors in plain frames with a single candle branch were known as sconces while those in elaborately carved and gilded settings of rococo design were called girandoles after the French originals. Girandoles were usually of asymmetrical shape but were made in pairs to produce a symmetrical or balanced effect.
Personal cleanliness was not the sort of thing that people of the 17th and 18th centuries worried much about. When the Romans occupied these islands 1500 years earlier, the civilised Britons lived in villas which were well equipped with hot baths and other hygienic amenities. These disappeared after the end of the Roman occupation and were not revived until the reign of Queen Victoria was more than half over.
In Chippendale’s time a superficial rinsing of hands and face was all that was considered necessary in the way of daily ablutions. Consequently, mid-Georgian washstands were very lightly made. There were two main types, the first of which was rectangular in shape with a double lid on the top. The water jug and basin were kept in a small cupboard beneath and when required were lifted out and placed in a circular recess in the top, after the lids had been opened.
The second type was even more lightly made and con-
sisted of a rectangular or triangular stand, on the top of
which the ewer and basin were placed permanently, but a
shelf was provided half-way down on which to stand the
jug while the basin was being used. The triangular wash-
stand was designed to fit into a corner and was probably
intended for the smaller bedrooms where space might
be at a premium. These stands are often employed nowa-
days as bedside tables, to take a reading lamp and a book.
Unfortunately, the original top with the basin hole in it is
sometimes replaced. While it is necessary to carry out
some modification if the stand is to be used as a table, it
is always preferable to leave an antique piece of furniture
in its original state. Here the problem may be solved by overlaying a new top on the original one. A third, but much less common type of small wash-basin stand is dealt with in the following chapter.
The introduction of larger jugs and basins made of the new ironstone china in the early 19th century and the growing demand for better washing facilities produced a larger and more strongly made washstand. This was about 3 feet in length with high sides and back to prevent water being splashed around. The top was plain, without a recess for the basin, and there were two drawers underneath with a shelf nearer the floor. These Regency washstands were usually made in mahogany with turned legs. They make very good writing tables as modern bedrooms with running water or an adjacent bathroom render their original purpose obsolete.

Tables, Dressers and Sideboards
Medieval boards and trestles—survival of the term “board”—the Tudor refectory table—pull-out or draw-leaf tables—the cre• dence and origin of the gate-leg table—long period of the gate-leg—occasional joined tables-18th-century patterns with club legs—the composite “D” end table—tripod tea tables with dished and pie-crust tops—dating by shape of feet—early games tables-18thcentury card tables–Sheraton quartette or nest tables—variations of the Pembroke style—sofa tables and early 19th-century folding tables—early dressers—dressers developed from side tables—Welsh dressers—appearance of the sideboard—Victorian chiffoniers mason’s patent ironstone china .
In the communal life of medieval times the servant ate with his master and his place at the table was a kind of status symbol regency revival furniture . The master would sit at the head with his guests and family; next would come the retainers of importance such as the steward and the priest and finally the servants expensive antique plates . Accordingly the table was a very long one and as the great hall was also used for recreation and even for sleeping the table had to be constructed so that, in spite of its size, it could be easily dismantled and put to one side when not required furniture+scallop+wheat .
Tables of the Gothic period were referred to as boards and trestles and were made in a variety of styles edwardian c19th construction buildings . Sometimes the supports were as those illustrated in the Luttrell Psalter and later they took the form of pedestals french words for dinner stand . Until the middle of the 16th century the table top consisted of a massive board of oak or elm boards nailed together 1600 century scroll back chair . When laid over the trestles or pedestals the very weight preserved its stability table consoul antiques caried or gold “rococo” . Even to this day, landladies advertise “board and lodging” and we still speak of a board of directors, a board room and a board of governors flemish trestle table . It is interesting to note how this term, used to describe a council of men and women meeting around a table, is a survival in our language from a very distant past catherine the great of russia plates .
By 1550 the communal life of the hall had begun to disappear john bell, porcelain, value . Houses were being built with a greater number of rooms and master and man took their meals apart kent silversmiths bread basket . There was no longer a need for the long trestle table and so a smaller table with a permanent underframe and legs was taken into general use writing cabinet officers antique . It was probably a smaller adaptation of the joined tables used in the abbey refectories and nowadays the term, refectory table, is used to describe it, although it was a purely domestic piece of furniture types of bureaux .
The refectory table, which was in everyday use from about 1550 to 1660, was usually 8 to 12 feet in length art deco brass stool . It was stoutly constructed with four, six or eight legs with bottom rails between them, and the top permanently fixed 19th century chairs’ . The underframing was made of oak but the top was often of elmwood, because of the wide boards which could be obtained from that tree antique neoclassical .
During the reign of Elizabeth I a variant of the refectory table, known as a draw-leaf table, appeared on the scene earthenware mixing bowls antique with handles . It enabled a comparatively short table to be extended to nearly twice its length by pulling out under-leaves from both ends dinnerware silver tureen . It was a design introduced from Flanders and France and it enjoyed an equal popularity with the refectory table botanical whimsies are considered some of the finest examples of art nouveau glass . Both of these types were displaced by the gate-leg table after the Restoration but the draw-leaf table has been revived during the 20th century and many modern homes possess similar, but lighter versions of the Elizabethan prototype steel dining table germany .
During the second half of the 16th and the early years
of the 17th centuries, table legs were massively made and often took the form of heavy bulbous turnings english creamware marks . On Flemish tables these swollen shapes are often spherical, like a melon, but the English versions were considerably more elongated with rounded tops and bottoms dresden german antiques . It has been said that these bulbous legs were functional in that they were designed to prevent rats climbing on to the table tops ant cherry antique dictionary tables . I have it on good authority from a biologist friend that any self-respecting rat could easily leap on to a table without any climbing aids 19th century gothic bedside tables .
Between 1600 and 1630, a small but sturdily constructed kind of side table was developed antique chippendale “solid mahogany” dining table lions paw . It must be considered a somewhat rare example of early Stuart furniture as examples these days are seldom encountered ernst archibald furniture . The tabletop was of the folding type, that is, it consisted of two halves hinged together and normally kept closed cherry ladies writing desk by pennsylvania house . When required for use, the upper leaf would be opened outwards and this would be supported by a fifth leg, which could be swung out as in a gate-leg table serpentine pembroke table . Actually, this small table was the forerunner of the gate-leg pattern turkish style sideboards uk . It is sometimes referred to as a credence table, which was placed at the side of the altar in the churches and on which the wine vessels and plate were arranged for use in the Communion service antique “trestle table” kent .
The gate-leg table, as already mentioned in Chapter 1, became generally fashionable after the Restoration and, in one form or another it is the one type of table which has been in continuous service ever since art deco polished matte lost-wax castings o nude women in bronze by viennese artisans . Usually made with a gate on each side, some larger tables are to be found with quadruple gates “art deco dresser” and “marble top” . These were of the period when spiral twist legs were in vogue and were made of walnut or, occasionally, of oak louis xv antique french commode .
A small type of side table, with a drawer and bobbin turned or baluster legs, must have been made in large numbers towards the end of the 17th century as they are frequently to be found in sale-rooms and antique shops antique music cabinete with mirror at the top . The finer versions are sometimes veneered and have curved stretchers as illustrated in Chapter 2 federal style table with brass paws . A more common and probably country-made variety is the so-called tavern table with its top overhanging the ends to a more than usual degree trent potteries designs by george jones . The drawers of these tables are sometimes found with joiner’s slides on the sides porcelain wincanton .
After being generally adopted as a dining table during the Restoration period, the gate-leg table was given a variety of leg shapes over the next hundred years rene lalique nude woman art deco lamp . Baluster and spiral twists gave place to scrolled legs and eventually to a type of cabriole shape known as the club leg italian,furniture,maker,address . Except for use on extending card tables, the cabriole leg was not ideally suited to larger table design, but the club leg variation remained in vogue until the introduction of the Chippendale square leg and the tapered legs of the Adam and Hepplewhite eras deco style dressing table .
It was customary during the late Stuart and William and Mary periods for a host to seat his guests at several gate-leg dining tables if the company was a large one sheffield rote iron . By the mid-18th century, however, long mahogany dining tables at which all the company could be seated, began to appear in the more important households antique wood cutlery urns . For over fifty years, these long dining tables consisted of one or several gate-leg tables, with rectangular side-leaves, which were joined together and semi-circular “D” end tables were placed at each end to make up the piece ruhimann table . The wide mahogany boards, introduced during the previous decades, rendered the construction of the broad table-tops a relatively simple matter antiques antique oak sideboards dutch style .
When only a few people were at dinner, the “D” ends would be placed against the wall to serve as side tables and only the gate-leg would be in use new york antiques light art deco . These “D” end tables are quite often to be seen in antique shops, either singly or in pairs, and it is not always realised that they have originally been part of a long Georgian dining table antique mahogany handkerchief table . When placed together, a pair of these tables make a very attractive circular dining table, which would be admirably suited to a present-day flat or smaller modern house http://antcollectors.com . The long “D” end tables continued in use well into the 19th century but the tapered legs were in time replaced by centre pedestals, each supported on four long curved feet antique furniture spanish art nouveaux . These were usually reeded and had brass-capped ends with castors or brass leopard-paw ends wheat antique dresser .
Designed during the closing years of the 17th century, but not becoming generally popular until fifty years later, the small, snap-top, tripod table with a circular top is probably one of the commonest pieces of antique furniture to be found today walnut escutcheons . The hinged top of the simpler country-made examples is usually flat but a tea table with a dished or slightly hollow top is not uncommon reproduced oval shaped dinnig table with lion’s paw . The dished top was designed to prevent spilt tea or milk running over on to the carpet campaign furniture pottery furniture . A more elaborate type of the dished top was known as a pie crust early 19th century mahogany desks with lion feet . Here the edge was carved into a series of scallop shapes, but genuine pie-crust tops are rare and there are many reproductions about value of george iii english mahogany gateleg card table? . Some tripod tea tables have an open, box-like structure fitted underneath, known as a birdcage and into which the single, central pillar is made to fit dutch silver 17th century . With this device, the table top not only folds upwards but can also be rotated so that any dish upon the table may be brought within reach of the guests period antique mahonany dining table with lions paw pedestal legs .
It is possible to date a tripod table, to within twenty years, by the shape of the feet tilt-top birdcage tea table . As illustrated on p small antique pembroke table fold-over . 63, the feet of around 1750 to 1770 have a flatter curve with a wider spread, while those of 1770 to 1790 have a more pronounced hump at the knee antique imari porcelain . From 1790 to 1810 approximately, the curve of the feet was reversed and by the time of the Regency, slender, concave shaped feet had been introduced toilet habits during 1800th century . The early Victorian period saw the revival of the “S” shape, but this was usually rather thick in proportion and decorated with elaborate carving bassano maiolica .
Tables which were specially designed for playing games were rare during the 17th century but an interesting piece, known as a shuffleboard table, is sometimes to be found in the long galleries of our greater country houses 18th century antique american gateleg . The long galleries were built for leisure and relaxation so that during the winter months, while the gentlemen went hunting, the ladies could take more gentle exercise indoors dressing table with small tables . The shuffleboard table can best be compared with a shove-ha’penny board, save that large brass discs were used instead of coins and the table top was often very long rh vase austria . There is one at Astley Hall in Lancashire which has twenty stout legs and is 2712 feet long jennens and bettridge . It must have been prefabricated and then assembled in the long gallery as it is far too large ever to have been brought up the staircase in one piece botanical antique ceramics collectors .
During the reign of Queen Anne and the Georgian period, card games were extremely popular and folding top tables with cabriole legs were in general use during that time finmar alvar aalto stool . These tables were, mostly made of walnut and had small recesses near the edges of the top to hold the guineas or counters while small circular platforms were provided at each corner to hold candlesticks for the night’s play fashion in the 16th century netherlands .
Card tables and tea tables, particularly the folding, semi-circular variety with tapered legs, were made to an almost identical pattern, the only difference being that the games tables had inset baize tops while the tea tables were of polished wood how a goldsmith made a candlestick . The early 19th century saw the production of many small games tables with tops inlaid for chess and backgammon and with drawers beneath to hold the apparatus for the games end tables lions head table with brass eagle claws on legs .
To Sheraton must be given the credit of designing the nest of tables, the idea for which appeared in his Cabinet Directory in 1803 antique kidney shaped dressing table . The nest comprises four small, separate tables which all fit one under another splay leg sofa table . They were originally referred to as quartette tables and being very lightly con-structed and somewhat fragile, it is uncommon to find an original, complete set of four istoriato china . Luckily, I have such a set in my possession which I believe was made by Gillow of Lancaster old gateleg wooden drop leaf tables . It was salvaged from a second-hand furniture shop, the tables being scattered around among the jumble and the shopkeeper having no idea, apparently, that they formed a unique set kakiemon bow price .
Small Pembroke tables with side flaps supported by hinged brackets and said to have been designed originally at the request of the Duchess of Pembroke for occasional use, appeared about 1775 mahogany french dining chairs . They were common in late Georgian homes and in the early part of the 19th century a larger version was made to serve as a supper or breakfast table rectangular drop leaf table antique .
Sofa tables were designed to stand behind a sofa and to carry such things as reading and writing matter, trays of refreshments and candelabras rococo display cabinet . A few years ago, they were fairly common but are now in such great demand as bedroom dressing tables, that they have become a somewhat rare and expensive item pop up cigarette deco dispenser .
The Regency and early Victorian periods saw a vast number of tables with folding tops, made to stand on a central pedestal with three or four feet value of clawfoot cabriole legged dressing table? . In this type, the double top, when opened out, could be rotated so that it was supported by a rectangular underframing odiot tureen . These tables were used for games, writing, serving tea and a whole host of leisure activites french scrolling art nouveau style chairs .
A necessary adjunct to every dining room is a sideboard and to every kitchen or living room, a dresser trestle draw leaf table . The sideboard, as its name implies, was a small side table in those far off days when a dining table was referred to as a board gateleg drop leaf table 19th century . As the piece of furniture we know, it did not appear until the second half of the 18th century 18th century french fashion . The dresser, on the other hand, is of far more ancient lineage and in the painting of the More family by Holbein, referred to in Chapter there is shown in the background a high-backed, canopied Gothic dresser, or, as it was called in that period, a dressoir dutch rococo walnut cupboard . These dressers were really related to the cupboard or buffet and further reference will be made to them in the chapter on Cupboards vintage porcelain plate with brass pedestal .
Dressers with a high back were out of fashion during the early Stuart and Commonwealth times but there were two simpler types in general use aaron burr antique furniture . One was made in the form of a long, narrow side table with three or four deep drawers refectory tables trestle . It stood on four or six legs and had an under shelf, as wide as the dresser top, near the floor level antique epergne glass . This was, no doubt, used for the display of brass and copper ware what were wood tables with porcelain tops used for . The other type was a development of the chest and presented a more solid appearance, the entire front being filled with drawers and small cupboards demilune chiffonier . This second kind of dresser was not generally adopted until after the Restoration but both types were used then until the end of the 17th century drop leaf table with lion claw feet .
By the beginning of the Georgian period most dressers were fitted with a set of plate shelves which stood at the rear of the dresser top poole pottery est. 1873 . This version was usually referred to as a Welsh dresser and while it may have been popular in the Welsh farmhouse kitchen, it was undoubtedly made throughout Britain during the 18th and 19th centuries drop leaf table with spiral turned legs . Occasionally dressers are found made in walnut but more frequently in oak with the edges of the drawer fronts and the cupboard doors cross-banded in walnut or mahogany antique cabinets coat of arms .
Long sidetables were normally used as sideboards in early Georgian dining rooms and on these would be placed the knife and fork boxes with the cellaret for wines underneath antique french ormulu furniture . It was about 1775 that the first sideboards were designed with drawers for the silver and cutlery and deep cupboards on either side to hold the wines boulle table . Sheraton is supposed to have added the low brass rail with a small silk curtain at the back to the designs for bow-fronted sideboards, which had originated during the Hepplewhite period goldscheider staffordshire myott .
In Victorian times, some monstrous sideboards were created with the addition of the most elaborate carving chamber pot cabinet . In the great dining room at Charlecote Park, near Stratford upon Avon, there is installed such a piece of furniture with carved effigies of every variety of edible fish, animal and fowl hanging in great swags from every point and corner chestnut tables antique . This monument to the questionable good taste of the Victorians is all meticulously worked in varnished oak, a spectacle which must have made the shade of Grinling Gibbons sadly shake its head turn a silver tray into a table .
On the other hand, it was during the mid-Victorian period that a very attractive little sideboard, known as a chiffonier, made its appearance antique claw foot table . It was equally useful as a sideboard for a small dining room or as a cabinet for a drawing room fish tail knife 16th century fruit knife 15th . Made in mahogany or veneered with burr walnut, it was certainly one of the more commendable inspirations of the designers during the Victorian era american antique slant front desk .

Ironstone and transfer-printed wares
In the 19th century, British manufacturers were preeminent in the production of functional, durable, and decorative ceramic tableware. Large factories with streamlined production methods made use of transfer-printing, which enabled every piece to be identically decorated to a high standard. Pearlware, widely used from the 1780s, was improved to create a generic type of white earthenware that could be potted evenly and inexpensively.
IRONSTONE AND STONE CHINA The durable British earthenware services came to supplant the more delicate Chinese porcelain for everyday use both in Britain and abroad. Customers still wanted “Oriental” patterns, and Japanese Lind Chinese designs were combined in styles called “Indian” or “Japan”, with their roots in
British wares of the Regency period. In 1813, at Fenton in Staffordshire, Charles James Mason ( 1791-18,56) patented a durable white stoneware body under the name “Mason’s Patent Ironstone China”. From the I 820s to the 1840s other Staffordshire manufacturers produced similar wares with names such as “Granite China” and “Stone China”. The use of the name “china” was blatantly misleading, because these wares were forms of earthenware. To satisfy demand, many Staffordshire factories grew to an enormous size, employing a vast workforce that kept the kilns burning all year round, producing huge quantities of ware for both the home and the export markets.
BLUE-AND-WHITE PRINTED WARES
Ironstone, with its bright colours and occasional gilded decoration, was more expensive than plain blue-and white wares. Underglaze blue, transfer-printed ware was the staple product of British potteries as far apart as northeastern England, Scotland, the West Country, and South Wales, but it is with the Staffordshire potteries that mass-produced blue-and-white dinner services and other domestic wares are most closely associated. Because the printed patterns were applied beneath the glaze, the design cannot wear off nor the colours fade, with the result that most pieces look as fresh today as when they were made.
The largest producer of blue-and-white printed ware was the Spode factory (est. 1776) in Stoke-on-Trent, where every piece was made to a very high standard. Spode had
begun by copying Chinese-styleatterns, which were very popular. The demand for English pottery increased when mass imports of Chinese porcelain were suspended c.1800 because the British china dealers had attempted to form a cartel to keep prices artificially low. Gradually new designs were introduced, including views of British stately homes, and American and Indian scenes.
THE “WILLOW” PATTERN
One of the most popular transfer- printed designs, the “Willow” pattern was made by dozens of potteries throughout Britain. The pattern depicts the lovers Koon-sec and Chang fleeing their oppressors and being transformed into doves. This “ancient” fable has long delighted owners of Willow services, but in fact it was invented in Britain in order to sell Staffordshire dinner services. Often incorrectly attributed to the Caughley factory (est. c.1772-5), Shropshire, the original pattern was adapted from various Chinese porcelain designs and may have been first used at Spode. Caughley did not make Willow-pattern wares. The design was made in many different versions, and was eventually copied in both China and Japan.
• BODY a broad range of durable carthenwares and stonewares called by such names as “Ironstone”, “Stone China”, and “Granite China”
• DECORATION mostly transfer-printing; chinoiseries (including the Willow pattern), sporting scenes, Imari and famille-rose-inspired palettes and motifs, and landscapes
Marks
C.J. Mason & Co.: mark used for Mason’s Patent Ironstone China
Spode: mark used on blue-and-white and some stone china
The underglaze blue and the overglaze red and gilded designs of large peonies above zigzag fences on this Mason’s Ironstone card-rack were inspired by ornamentation used on brightly coloured porcelain exported from the Japanese port of Iman from the middle of the 17th century. Such designs, which often entirely covered the piece, were known during the Regency period as “Japar” patterns. This rare, and therefore highly desirable, unmarked shape can be identified as Mason’s Ironstone from the very good quality of the decoration, although it is a little worn in places.