Vase with lid (one of a pair)
Manufactory C. J. Mason and Co. British
These two vases are made of a ceramic body introduced in the early nineteenth century that was called by the factory "Mason’s Ironstone China". In fact, a fine white earthenware was employed for "ironstone", but the name given by the firm implied both durability and the elegance of Chinese porcelain. Ironstone could be inexpensively made, and works in this medium were enormously popular throughout the nineteenth century. In addition, the decoration involved painting over transfer-printed designs which was far less expensive that applying decoration entirely by hand. Thus works such as these, despite their imposing size, were much more affordable than comparable porcelain vases with traditional painted decoration.
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