This elaborately scalloped luncheon plate in John Ridgway's "Villa" pattern is executed in brown transfer and the rarest transfer color, yellow.   The "villa" of the title is the somewhat eccentric structure which dominates the center scene.  In the foreground, two people pause from their gardening activities for conversation. Off to the right a stream winds past some exotic looking spires.  The brown transfer printing is further highlighted with yellow. An inner border of scallops and rosettes frames the well of the plate.

Around the rim, a yellow-on-yellow ground pattern edged in brown frames the center scene.  Four large reserves of floral groups framed in contrasting brown scroll work alternate with little songbirds in smaller reserves to complete the border. 

In the rarefied realm of yellow transferware, John Ridgway's "Villa" is one of a small group of patterns we see with any frequency at all. Others include a series of European views (mostly German) by Wood, William Ridgway's "Etruscan Festoon," and two additional patterns,"Cornelian" and "Shiraz" --  makers unknown, but likely by one of the Ridgways.