Pair of Plates, painted with flowers and fruit, and the borders moulded with scrolls in relief, impressed mark. Christie, July 20, 1920 26 5 0 SWANSEA. Jug, painted with bouquets and wreaths of flowers and gilt, and with a shield of arms, 10 in. high; and a pair of plates with a wreath of flowers, impressed mark. Christie, February 18, 1902 17 6 6 Jug, moulded with leaves, and with flowers and butterflies in green and colours, 10-3/4 in. high. Christie, February 5, 1902 8 8 0 Dessert Service, painted with cornflowers and with gilt edges, consisting of centre dish, on foot; eight oblong, four shell-shaped and four octagonal dishes; pair of sugar tureens, covers and stands; thirty plates; eighteen small plates. Christie, November 21, 1902 65 2 0 Swansea china covered Porringer and Saucer, finely decorated with flowers in natural colours on a dotted gold ground. Sotheby, May 17, 1920 14 0 0 Swansea Dessert Service, painted with named flowers with gilt foliage and trellis work round borders, consisting of pair of sugar-tureens and covers, four octagonal dishes and twelve plates. Christie, July 5, 1920 25 4 0 A pair of Swansea small vases, painted with panels of flowers on dark blue ground, richly gilt, and with swan handles, 7 in. high. Christie, July 20, 1920 22 1 0 X MINTON [Illustration: MINTON VASE. Mazarin blue ground, raised and chased gold scrolls. First half 19th century. (_By permission of Messrs. Mortlock, Oxford Street._)] [Illustration: MINTON DISH, _pâte-sur-pâte_, BY M. L. SOLON. _By courtesy of Messrs. Minton & Sons._] X MINTON Messrs. Minton, of Stoke, in Staffordshire, manufacture pottery, porcelain, and majolica. By this latter, that massive ware, of bold design and bolder ornamentation and positive colours, principally blues, yellows, and greens, Minton’s at the Paris Exhibition of 1855 created quite a sensation, and won universal admiration. Ten years before the commencement of the nineteenth century Thomas Minton established his factory at Stoke-upon-Trent. Only earthenware was manufactured at Stoke Works up till 1798, chiefly ordinary white ware, ornamented with blue, in imitation of Nankin china. From about 1799 down to 1811 a semi-transparent china was also made, but was abandoned as unprofitable. In 1817 Mr. Minton’s two sons entered the firm. In 1821 the manufacture of china was again resumed; about this time, too, a very marked improvement was noticeable in Minton’s printed earthenware; the body was whiter, and the glaze was more highly finished.