Mason's Porcelain Serving Dish, Light Blue with Birds Nest, Regency, ca 1813

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Mason's Porcelain Serving Dish, Light Blue with Birds Nest, Regency, ca 1813

About the Item

This is a beautiful serving dish made by Miles Mason in about 1813. The dish has surface moulded vines on a light blue ground, and flowers with a birds nest in the centre. Miles Mason was one of the early ones of the second wave of British porcelain makers, alongside Spode and others. Mason was a prominent porcelain retailer in London at the time that most porcelain came from China, imported by the East India Company. When those imports stopped in 1791 (due to the racketeering at the porcelain auctions by Mason and his fellow dealers), he seized the opportunity and started to experiment in making his own porcelain. By the early 1800s, Mason had developed both very strong ironstone, and bone china. Mason copied the Chinese designs he used to import, and became famous for large Chinoiserie dinner and dessert wares made of "Patent Ironstone". But the Mason factory (by that time called "Mason's") also made some very beautiful porcelain, much of it in the neo-classicist style. This dish would have been part of a large dessert service. It is made of bone china and has two handles. It has surface moulded vines picked out in gilt on a light blue ground. In the centre of the dish is a very charming painting of a birds nest with eggs, surrounded by flowers. This dish has provenance: this very dish is illustrated in Geoffrey Godden's leading book "Mason's China and the Ironstone Wares" in plate 121 and formed part of his personal collection. We can tell that because is a tiny little "blob" of stray porcelain on the painting, the moulder must have sneezed! The dish is unmarked as was common at the time. Condition report The dish is in very good antique condition without any crazing or repairs, and just some very light wear as visible in the pictures. There is a very small chip off the foot rim, see picture. There is some stray blue paint on the handles, from production. Antique British porcelain is never perfect. Kilns were fired on coal in the 1800s, and this meant that china from that period can have some firing specks from flying particles. British makers were also known for their experimentation, and sometimes this resulted in technically imperfect results. Due to the shrinkage in the kiln, items can have small firing lines or develop crazing over time, which should not be seen as damage but as an imperfection of the maker's recipes, probably unknown at the time of making. Items have often been used for many years and can have normal signs of wear, and gilt can have signs of slight disintegration even if never handled. I will reflect any damage, repairs, obvious stress marks, crazing or heavy wear in the item description but some minor scratches, nicks, stains and gilt disintegration can be normal for vintage items and need to be taken into account. There is widespread confusion on the internet about the difference between chips and nicks, or hairlines and cracks. I will reflect any damage as truthfully as I can, i.e. a nick is a tiny bit of damage smaller than 1mm and a chip is something you can easily see with the eye; a glazing line is a break in the glazing only; hairline is extremely tight and/or superficial and not picked up by the finger; and a crack is obvious both to the eye and the finger. Etcetera - I try to be as accurate as I can and please feel free to ask questions or request more detailed pictures! Dimensions (diameters) 23.7cm (9.5") X 21cm (8.25").

Creator:
Miles Mason Porcelain (Maker)
Dimensions:
Height: 1 in (2.54 cm)Width: 9.5 in (24.13 cm)Depth: 8.25 in (20.96 cm)
Style:
Regency (In the Style Of)
Materials and Techniques:
Porcelain,Hand-Painted
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
1810-1819
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1813
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. In very good antique condition without any crazing or repairs, and very light wear. There is a very small chip, and some stray blue paint on the handles.
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: A-MAS191stDibs: LU4805125697722