Three colors of transfer are used on this pair of dessert trays  in the "British Flora" pattern; pink and purple for the flowers and green for leaves and stems. 

Transfer decoration is used sparingly here with only a fine central spray complemented by four smaller sprays corresponding to each corner of the rim. This delicate treatment underscores the desirable whiteness which the potter has achieved by the addition of a touch of bluing in the glaze of his earthenware body.  Continuing to emphasize this whiteness, the potter has used elaborate, but delicately molded handles and detail around the rim, making this element as important as the transfer decoration. 

From the arrivalof the first Chinese ceramics in Europe, porcelain became a hallmark of elegance and wealth.  The race to develop a European porcelain which ensued was finally won by Meissen in the early 18th century.  Even after porcelain became generally accessible with the development of bone china in the early nineteenth century, the standards established by Meissen (and rival 18th century porcelain factories ) remained the hallmark of elegance and the goal of all potters.  Though earthenware, the emphasis on whiteness exemplified in the "British Flora" pattern reveals an attempt to appeal to these porcelain-hungry tastes.