In the center of leaf shaped dessert dishes two whimsically colored ducks swim past a fantasy display of uplifted lotus leaves and blossoms--all in a Chinese derived style, but a bit more playful than the serene Asian models.

Framing the circular vignette and filling out the organic shape of the dish are a series of complex borders, starting with a narrow cobalt band encompassing contrasting floral reserves. Beyond, scattered flowers accent the transitional space to the outer border in green and cobalt with gilded highlights. As customary when Masons employed this series of shapes with little ruffles at the edge, the crinkly details are set off with yellow and purple enamels. While these colors do not appear elsewhere in the design, they provide a pleasant surprise.

For better or worse, we became curious about muscovy ducks and went--where else--to Wikipedia. To our surprise, they have nothing to do with Moscow, nothing to do with Chinese decoration, and nothing to do with the adorable ducks in the pattern. Instead they are big black birds with bumpy red faces (looking a little like vultures), native to Central and South America, and introduced to Europe by early explorers. Some theorize that the name derives from "musk" referring to the bird's characteristic "gamy" aroma.

Sort of makes one even more appreciative of Masons magical transformation.