A rare First Period C.J. Mason plate dating to the years shortly after the 1813 ironstone patent. The plate is decorated with an expressive chinoiserie tableau featuring a serpentine dragon, butterflies and stylised birds, executed in bright enamels against an ochre ground with gilt highlights.The reverse includes a hand-painted iron-red floral border and a small pseudo-Sčvres monogram, reflecting a Regency-period taste for Continental-style marks used by several English workshops. The piece displays the confident brushwork and vivid palette typical of Mason decorators in the 1810s–1820s.A desirable First Period example with strong visual impact and clear workshop character.Historical BackgroundFollowing the 1813 patent for ironstone, Mason’s earliest productions incorporated hybrid porcelain–stone-china bodies with bold decoration. Regency taste favoured exotic imagery, and Mason workshops embraced chinoiserie motifs with bright colours and expressive compositions. Pse...