Platter, 15 x 12 inches. Brown transfer. Printed and impressed maker's marks for W. T. Copeland & Sons. The border, known as "Arabesque," is seen on all the patterns in this series. This pattern features a horizontal scroll with curled edges decorated with geometric patterns. The scene pictured on the scroll consists of a river with palm trees and a figure seated on the foreground riverbank and domed buildings on the background bank. Irises and bamboo frame the scene on the left and right. The large scroll is laid over a bunch of irises with a butterfly to the upper right and a songbird to the upper left. The left side of the platter well features a delicate flowering prunus branch with three songbirds perched at the tip. There are three cartouches laid over and under the branch. The two circular cartouches contain songbirds in flight and a geometric pattern respectively and the fan-shaped cartouche contains a crane in flight.
W. T. Copeland was the only son of William Copeland, partner of Josiah Spode in the Stoke Potteries, of Staffordshire and of Portugal Street, London. He succeeded his father as head of the porcelain firm in Portugal Street, London and eventually bought out the interests of the Spode family in the business in the Potteries and London. He ran the business in partnership with Thomas Garrett between 1833 and 1847. After the dissolution of the Copeland and Garrett partnership, it traded as W.T. Copeland and Sons. (1847-1976). In 1866 Copeland was appointed china and glass manufacturer to the Prince of Wales.
