This amazing set of 9 Mintons, 19 th C. cabinet plates depicting young nymphs in fanciful, bucolic settings are beautifully and realistically painted on a soft aqua background framed by a simple acid-etched border.  Each uniquely painted center evokes the beauty and virtuosity of the artist. Unsigned but undoubtedly painted by the master artist Antonin Boullemier, these capture the delicate allure of these charming subjects perhaps best described as "semi-divine beings in the form of  beautiful maidens."  Painted by one of MInton's finest artists and retailed by Bailey, Banks and Biddle,  these stand alone as perfect display pieces of the finest quality. Excellent condition commensurate with age. Ca. 1881