Mason's Ironstone Porcelain

This is a stunning dessert service made by Miles Mason between 1813 and 1820. It is made of Patent Ironstone China, decorated in the very rare "Famille Verte Chinoiserie" pattern with a garden scene. It consists of a soup tureen with cover on stand, an oval dish, two lobed dishes, one large plate and 10 dessert plates. Miles Mason started making porcelain in the 1790s, when porcelain imports from China ceased and there was a need for British-made porcelain. In the early 19th Century he purchased the patent for "ironstone" china from the Turner brothers and in 1813 he launched his "Mason't Patent Ironstone China". This was a china body that strictly speaking was earthenware, but as strong as porcelain and looking more like the porcelain that had been imported from China, than bone china. Ironstone china was cheaper to produce and its blueish hue was excellent for the Chinoiserie decorations that were still popular. The new middle class, sprung up with the Industrial Revolution, could not afford the expensive hand painted bone china table sets yet and they were also quite attached to the Chinese style of decorating. Mason saw the opportunity and started supplying huge amounts of dinner and dessert services to the new industrialists. Soon, all other potters started imitating him by bringing out their own "stone china' bodies, each with a slightly different name. This dessert service has the typical and wonderful leaf-shaped serving dishes and simple round plates. It is decorated in a style typical for the earlier Mason's ironstone china: a hand painted imitation of a typical Chinoiserie garden scene of a tea drinking couple and their servants. The pattern is similar to patterns that can be found on Chinese import...

A pair of Mason's Ironstone China Card Racks c.1820-1825.  Finely decorated with bouquets of summer flowers with a sage green ground and gilding. Impressed m...

This is a beautiful dessert plate made by Mason around the year 1840. The plate has the wonderful cabbage shape with a bright Royal blue ground and beautiful hand painted flower spra...

A set of nine Mason's ironstone hydra pitchers from the mid-19th century, with blue, orange and green Japan Basket pattern. Created in England during the 1850s, each of this set of nine pitchers captures our attention with its octogonal shape adorned with blue and orange tones. Accented with green serpent notched handles and showcasing the Japan Basket pattern, the pitchers range from 4" x 3" x 3" to 9.5" x 8" x 9". They present their mark Mason's Patent Ironstone China...

A pair of English blue and white Mason's patent ironstone vases from the 19th century, with chinoiserie decor depicting two fishermen on a bridge surrounded by willow patterns. Born ...

Antique English ironstone transferware tureen set by Mason's features red transferware Vista pattern, includes lidded double handle tureen with ...