The predominance of the Japanese style in Aesthetic Movement tablewares often blinds us to the other foreign traditions tapped by designers seeking novel flavors of beauty. Here Wedgwood's pattern name--unlike many titles that seem arbitrary--clues us into the Indian sources of the composition.

Bands of Indian ornament fill the surface of the plate with overflowing detail. In the center is a wheel device radiating out to incorporate tear drop motifs made familiar to us from "paisley" shawls. Further out are two rings. The innermost features a blossoming vine in black silhouette. The outer band contains alternating floral reserves--each stylized in its own manner--against a checkered ground.

Wedgwood colored this transfer design in different ways. The black printing is highlighted iin the border with restained touches of red and blue.  Ochre lustre is also used as the ground of the black vine pattern which frames the center decoration as well as to highlight the decoration of the black reserves in the center decoration.  A reddish-brown enamel band finishes the edge of this plate.  

A matching pair with slightly different coloring in the border is available.  Please inquire.  

This pattern, like many others, has been attributed to Christopher Dresser, which is plausible given Dr. Dresser's seemingly all inclusive interest in international traditions. However, Dresser's work for Wedgwood is not completely documented and we cannot be sure of the claim.

What is certain is that some credit for influence should go to Owen Jones and his 1856 compendium of multi-cultural design, The Grammar of Ornament, a sourcebook for subsequent designers. Writing of his Indian examples, Jones praises the national tradition of perfect scale and placement of ornamental motifs to achieve a unified surface. It would seem that Wedgwood's pattern, whoever its designer may have been, fulfills that tradition quite well.