A breezy lakeside park and gazebo--of the sort that might have been enjoyed by Jane Austen--is depicted in the center of these soup plates.  This scene is complemented by three sprawling floral designs and scrollwork arranged around the rim.  The transfer-printed decoration is executed in three colors: pink and blue for flowers and green for the balance.  While earthenware, the whiteness of the clay body reflects the period's interest in more costly porcelain or bone china. Additional molded detail around the rim reflects that found in porcelain and even the silver wares of the aristocracy.  

These soup plates represent one of three three-color transfer patterns we have owned over the years, all seemingly by the same manufacturer.  One of the other patterns, "British Flora," uses delicate floral sprays for the transfer decoration while the other features a whimsical pheasant on a floral perch.  While all three are pearlware, these designs all look back to 18th century porcelain prototypes in their use of white ground and molded relief detail.