On the field of war, figures on horseback emerge from and recede back into the smoke of battle. These are the commanders in the struggle for Texan independence from its mother country of Mexico. The central equestrian figure appears to be directing the attack. Through the smoke clouds we see ranks of soldiers and a distant fortress; in the foreground are found casualties of the battle.

The "Texian Campaigne" border is dominated by a meandering ribbon that separated two alternating motifs. Against a dark ground stands a classical female figure, perhaps the embodiment of peace. Between these are military "trophy" groups consisting of gun, sword, bayonet, bugle, and banner. It is the presence of these appropriate still life arrangements that distinguish "Texian Campaigne" form the fiendishly similar "Napoleon" by C. & J. Mason.

"Texian Campaigne" may be the most sought after American historical pattern from the period that follows the early dark and medium blue patterns. It has attracted the attention of collectors as distinguished as Miss Ima Hogg, founder of Bayou Bend. When we are asked why the pattern has attained such high market value, we answer "One reason--Texans."

Despite this prominence the pattern has been subject to some of the most egregious assumptions in all transferware literature. Because early sources cited examples marked Anthony Shaw, subsequent authors assumed Shaw to be the sole producer of the pattern and attempted to explain away examples marked J. B. (John Beech) and T. W. (Thomas Walker). In fact all three potters produced the pattern in succession with credit going to Beech for the development of the pattern and perhaps the bulk of the production.

Equally erroneous is the assumption that the pattern celebrated the heroics of the Mexican War. That conflict between the United States and Mexico was fought in 1845 and '46, significantly after the pattern was introduced. Instead the scenes commemorate the Texas Revolution of 1835 to '36 in which Texas achieved independence. Individual scenes continue to be designated with the names of Mexican War battles--our example is called "Battle of Chapultepec"--but such labels, however convenient, possess no validity. (The Transferware Collectors Club deserves credit for the research debunking these myths. See Rogers, Palmer, and Pye, "Texian Campaigne," TCC Bulletin, May 2008.)