{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1078163"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1078163/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1078163","accessionNumber":"E.739-1901","objectType":"Print","titles":[{"title":"Designs for Plates","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This pattern book for ceramic plates contains designs attributed to the pottery of Miles and Charles James Mason. However, although many designs originate from the Mason pottery, the book is most likely to have been produced for the later pottery of Geo.L. Ashworth, of Hanley, Staffordshire. The latter came into possession of the Mason pottery (including the engraved plates for transfer printing) after their bankruptcy, and Ashworth kept producing popular Mason-type ware until as late as the 1960s. The book was probably not used in the workshops, as it is in very good condition, and may have served for archival purposes within the factory office. \r\nThe prints in the book were produced much in the same way as they would have been applied on ceramic plates. The outlines are transfer-printed, while the interiors are coloured by hand. The richly coloured and dense decorating style is known as ‘Japan’ or ‘Imari’-style, after the port town of Imari, in Japan. The designs in this book include French baroque and neoclassical, as well as far-eastern inspired elements. \r\n\n\n\n","physicalDescription":"Album bound in blue binder’s cloth, 33 x 31.7cm, contains designs for ceramic plates on brown backgrounds with hand coloured. The album is not complete, a middle section contains printed backgrounds for designs. ","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"ink","id":"AAT15012"}],"techniques":[{"text":"engraving","id":"AAT53225"},{"text":"hand-colouring","id":"AAT133555"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"hand-coloured engraving","categories":[{"text":"Pattern books","id":"THES48915"},{"text":"Ceramics","id":"THES48982"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":[],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLH (VA)","id":"THES49654"},"free":"","case":"93","shelf":"B","box":"84"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Albums","id":"AAT26690"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Staffordshire","id":"x29181"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"probably Hanley "}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"late 19th century","earliest":"1850-01-01","latest":"1899-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Width","value":"295","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"sheet","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"320","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"sheet","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"265","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"image (print)","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"270","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"image (print)","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"On the spine of the album: ‘Designs for Plates'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"This pattern book of transfer designs for ceramic plates is likely to have been made at the Staffordshire pottery of G.L.Ashworth and bros., ca. 1880.\r\n\r\nThe designs themselves originate from the earlier pottery of the Mason family (Miles Mason, then his son Charles James Mason), who were well known for their ‘Ironstone China’, a hardpaste, porcelain-emulating type of earthenware. Prized for its sturdiness, the colourful, dense ‘Japan’-style patterns, which we see reproduced in this book were a recoginzeable feature of Mason’s Ironstone China.\r\nAfter the bankruptcy of the Mason pottery in 1848, the entire factory was auctioned and came into the possession of George L. Ashworth, a potter from Hanley, who continued to produce Mason-style ware, until Ashworth eventually renamed their pottery “Mason’s Ironstone China Ltd”.\r\nThe developement of transfer-printing meant that patterns could easily be transferred onto surfaces such as plates and saucers, and this pattern book reflects the ceramic plate decorating process. The designs are first printed on a dark brown background, then hand coloured with great care to detail. These tasks would have been split up among semi-skilled worforces, which decreased the costs considerably and sped up the production process. \r\nPatterns and colours are applied in a number of combinations; different colours and shapes create a sense of variety, a greater choice for the potential customer. Examples of the exact same objects to which this pattern book refer to can be found in a 1880’s edition of Silber and Flemings trade catalogue, but the run of these patterns on plates and table ware sets seems to have been so long-lasting and large in quantity, that it is difficult to date this book for certain. However, it was acquired by the museum in 1901, hinting perhaps that this mode of recording pattern designs was no longer of use for the factory by that time. \r\nPattern books had a range of uses within the potteries, from reference books in workshops to trade catalogues and archival resources. This volume, being in very good condition, is unlikely to have been used in the workshops themselves, but its unfinished nature suggests that it could have been used for archival purposes, to document particular pattern combinations. As for the maker and designer of this book, nothing is known about him or her. However, as the techniques applied differ little from the production process in use to decorate the plates, it seems likely that they would have been created by a printer and colouring artist within the factory. It was uncommon for designs to be attributed to a specific designer, and patterns were often re-used and adapted depending on their popularity. \r\nTo conclude, this pattern book comes from a period in the history of the Staffordshire potteries where technological developements and creative innovation have reached their peak, and there is a stronger focus in the widening of choice for the already saturated market. It seems that the overly attractive, yet simply produced (with labour and cost effective technologies) wares seek to emulate prior novelties by quantity, rather than quality.\n\n\nThe question of the original designer for the patterns of this book is a puzzling one. Although the current CMS entry states that the maker is Miles Mason, Sophie Châtellier attribute the creation of this book to G.L. Ashworth and bros. However, many of the patterns do originate from Miles and Charles James Mason’s pottery and are their original designs, which were adapted and refined with time by Ashworth.\n\nSophie Chatellier, V&amp;A/RCA History of Design First Term Essay, Autumn 2015\r\n","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Hand coloured transfer prints from a pattern book for ceramic plates, ‘Japan' style patterns, Staffordshire pottery, 1880s","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Geoffrey A. Godden, <i>Godden’s Guide to Ironstone, Stone and Granite Wares, (</i>(Woodbridge, Suffolk, England: ACC Art Books, 1999)\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\nGeoffrey A. Godden, <i>Guide to Mason’s China and the Ironstone Wares,</i> (Woodbridge, Suffolk, England:: ACC Art Books, 1991) \r\n\t\t\t\t\r\nGodden, Geoffrey A., <i>Staffordshire Porcelain</i>, (London, Harper Collins,1983)\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\nReginald G Haggar, . <i>‘Miles Mason’ Transactions of the English Ceramic Circle</i>, vol. 8 (1972) part 2\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\nReginald G. Haggar,  <i>‘Miles Mason’ Transactions of the English Ceramic Circle</i>, vol. 9 (1972) part 3\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\nReginald Haggar, Elizabeth Adams, <i> Mason Porcelain & Ironstone 1796-1853</i>, (Faber and Faber Limited, 1977)\r\n"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.739-1901"],"accessionNumberNum":"739","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1901,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-05","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-30","availableToBook":false}}