This small jug, its shape a throwback to much earlier utilitarian pots, is decorated with a pattern squarely within the popular tradition of  fantasy Chinoiserie tableaus. The small size of the pot forces the scene into the space beneath the nose. Simple architectural and garden elements create an exotic setting for a group of  seven oriental figures who appear to pause in the midst of a conversation.  One in their midst cradles a lamb in her arms.

The design, printed in black transfer outlines,  is highlighted with quickly applied daubs of green, pink, blue and pale cream enamel.  A border of leaves, gridwork and stylized butterflies decorates the neck, both inside and out.

Whether by luck or sheer genius, Masons here creates one of the most engaging patterns we know.  Mason's infamous parsimony and rush to produce as much product as possible at any given time may be responsible for the slap-dash, watercolor quality of the enamels.  However we find it astonishing that under the notorious working conditions of the Masons factory, a product--crude in some aspects--can present figure studies with a compelling personality absent in the Chinese imaginings of most English potters.