Green bone china tea plate with black printed design.  The asymmetrical grouping of the individual elements of the design, together with the subject matter, illustrates the contemporary vogue for all things Japanese.  In 1853 trade between Japan and the West reopened and Japanese wares exhibited at the London International Exhibit in 1862 and the World’s Fair in Paris in 1867 inspired artists and manufacturers alike.There are a number of marks on this piece that give us information about its production. The diamond shaped mark is tells us that either the shape or the pattern was registered on December 6, 1880 by Powell, Powell Bishop & Stonier of Hanley.  Their initials can be seen under mark of the fan which bears the name PARAGON, which is the overall name for a range of wares made in this style by this company. Finally the red painted number is the factory pattern number. The registration date is like the earliest possible date of production and if the design was popular it might have been made for a number of years subsequent to registering.

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