Masons looks to color for impact in this pattern. This charming gently ribbed melon-form s...

Masons looks to color for impact in this pattern. This charming gently ribbed melon-form sauce tureen and undertray sports great swaths of cobalt and a raucous red-orange set side by side and almost on top of each other to create the punch. Variations of a garden tableau with pheasants provide the scenic element on undertray, body and lid. Grace notes of peach sprinkled throughout the scenic portions and acompanying the border keep the effect from becoming ponderous. Ochre enamel is used to the same end creating filigree decoration on the cobalt sections of the border,handles and knop.

Going into the second quarter of the nineteenth century, Masons patterns move beyond the f...

Going into the second quarter of the nineteenth century, Masons patterns move beyond the finesse of the Chinese patterns which inspired their earlier wares. The patterns of this era are marked with great swaths of contrasting color, beefiness and bravado. Typical of these later patterns, the primary focus seems to be the visual impact of contrasting color, at times even leaving portions of the scenic transfer un-colored as in the case at hand.