J. Meir & Son "Roselle" Dinner Plate, c. 1848

A lovely mid-19th-century Staffordshire ironstone transferware dinner plate in J. Meir & Son’s “Roselle” pattern, featuring a romantic lakeside scene with a picturesque country house, water, and surrounding trees. The scene is framed by an especially pretty border of flower-filled baskets, scrolling foliage, and delicate floral ornament, giving the plate a refined and distinctly Victorian character.

The Roselle pattern was registered on August 26, 1848, and the registration date is preserved in the diamond-shaped mark on the reverse of this example. The pattern became one of J. Meir & Son’s long-running designs, produced in multiple forms and colors throughout the firm’s operation. Examples are known in blue, green, purple, and red transfer, with the full range extending beyond dinnerware to tea and serving pieces.

J. Meir & Son, based at the Greengates Pottery in Tunstall, Staffordshire, was an important North Staffordshire manufacturer active from 1837 to 1897. The firm produced a wide variety of earthenware and ironstone wares, including the transfer-printed ironstone for which it is particularly well known. Their pieces were marked in several forms, including J. M. & S., J. Meir & Son, and marks incorporating the individual pattern name.

This example is particularly appealing for its soft blue transfer, finely printed landscape, and unusually delicate floral border, with the original 1848 registration mark adding an excellent piece of historical context.

Origin: Staffordshire, England
Maker: J. Meir & Son
Pattern: Roselle
Date: August 26, 1848
Material: Ironstone
Decoration: Blue transferware
Dimensions: 10.5" diameter
Condition: Antique condition with age-related crazing, discoloration, and minor imperfections consistent with age and use. Please see photographs for details.