An American, David Haviland, was an importer of French and English porcelains during the early to mid-1800's. Around 1850 he moved his family to Limoges, France, to begin his own porcelain manufacturing and decorating factory and as a result, Haviland China, was born. Upon his death in 1879, his two sons split the company. Charles formed Haviland & Co., while Theodore formed Theodore Haviland. This item is from the Charles Haviland Company. Haviland’s earlier designs were multicolored floral patterns painted on blanks, that were delicately handcrafted. Among their various patterns, the most popular one was Ranson which was developed in 1870 and was a runaway sales success. The pattern is Ranson in plain white, which was the basis for numerous floral patterns.