English Porcelain Chinoiserie Bone China Plates, Boy & Buffalo Pattern, Probably Miles Mason

Details

Description

Georgian Chinoiserie: Pair of 'Boy & Buffalo' Porcelain Plates (Miles Mason)


This is a beautiful and rare pair of English … Read more Georgian Chinoiserie: Pair of 'Boy & Buffalo' Porcelain Plates (Miles Mason)


This is a beautiful and rare pair of English Bone China Plates from the early 19th century, attributed to the renowned Staffordshire potter Miles Mason. The plates are distinguished by their fine polychrome hand-painted decoration and delicate, scalloped octagonal shape.

The design, known as the "Boy and Buffalo" pattern, is a classic example of Chinoiserie—the European imitation of Chinese Export porcelain.

• Decoration: The central scene depicts a whimsical Chinese landscape featuring a boy riding a water buffalo, surrounded by fanciful rockwork, stylized trees, and various flowers. The palette is dominated by vibrant polychrome enamels, with a strong use of leafy green, blues, pinks, and purples.

• Rim: The octagonal rim is outlined with a fine band of painted orange ribbon or scrolling motif, mimicking the famille rose borders found on the Chinese prototypes.

• Purpose: These plates were almost certainly produced as high-quality replacements for a valuable Chinese Export dinner service, which often suffered losses over decades of use.

• Attribution: Probably Miles Mason
• Date: circa 1805 (Early 19th Century)
• Material: Bone China (early English porcelain)
• Pattern: "Boy & Buffalo" Chinoiserie

• Dimensions: 8 3/4 inches (22.23 cm) Diameter x 1 1/4 inches (3.18 cm) High

Historical Context: The Rise of English Porcelain

These plates reflect a critical juncture in the history of English ceramics: the moment when British potters successfully challenged the dominance of Chinese imports.

The Porcelain Wars
In the late 18th century, Miles Mason (1752–1822), originally a prominent London retailer of Oriental porcelain, pivoted to manufacturing when Chinese porcelain imports were disrupted (notably after 1791). He, along with rivals like Spode, began perfecting the formula for Bone China—a stronger, whiter, and more translucent material than previous English soft-paste porcelain.

The Replacement Market
Mason focused on manufacturing wares in the exact style of the most popular Chinese Export patterns, particularly those in the Famille Rose palette (such as the circa 1760 Chinese prototype for this design). The "Boy on a Buffalo" motif itself originated in China and symbolized aspects of pastoral life, a theme easily understood and embraced by European buyers. By copying the exact pattern, Mason's factory ensured that wealthy patrons could complete their cherished Chinese services with readily available, durable English replacements.

References
• Vollmer, John E., et al. Silk Roads, China Ships, An Exhibition of East-West Trade. (Cites an identical Chinese prototype plate from the same service, housed at the Royal Ontario Museum, confirming the pattern's origin).
• Godden, Geoffrey A. Mason's Patent Ironstone China and other works on British porcelain. (Documents Miles Mason's transition from retailer to manufacturer of high-quality porcelain and the deliberate copying of Chinese patterns around 1800–1805).

(Ref: NY9030-nrrr) See less