Mason's and Ashworth's Ironstone Dinner Service. Comprising: soup tureen, cover and underplate; two vegetable tureens and covers; sauce tureen, cover and underplate, three platters in two sizes, a rim soup plate, and twelve dinner plates. The handles and covers in the form of entwined porpoises with gilt scales and beards, the tureens all of scalloped and lobed round form, the platters with scalloped rims. All painted in iron-red, gold and blue with Imari pattern. Many items with Ashworth's marks impressed, and Mason's transfer-printed marks in purple or green. Staffordshire, England. Circa 1850 - 1870. {Approximate dimensions: The soup tureen 12 3/4" H. x 13 1/2" W. x 12 1/2" D. The stand 2 1/4" H. x 15" W. x 12 1/2" D. Largest platter 1 5/8" H. x 15" W. x 12 1/2" D. The dinner plates 10 1/2" Diameter.}. Condition: Overall condition is very good, with minor crazing to glaze, typical of the wear, gilding and enamel wear. On the edges to most of the pieces, the lustered orange border shows extensive wear. Gilt to handles worn to one tureen. Minor splotches of underglaze blue to undersides. Notes: The pattern is known as Imperial Rich Ruby, and numbered 4/10, according to the Transferware Collector's Club data base, and is interchangeable with Mason's Ironstone China pattern #9872.