made in Glasgow
This red and green transfer-printed earthenware soup plate was made for export to South East Asia, by the Glasgow potters, J. & M.P. Bell & Co. Ltd. It dates from between 1881 and the 1920s.
The design of this plate is called 'HUMMING BIRD'. The centre shows a humming bird with flowers, surrounded by a band of stylized leaves and scrolls. The border pattern consists of stylized flowers and tendrils.
During the second half of the 19th century Bells developed a range of designs specially geared to the Eastern market. One of the design innovations used by them was the two-coloured printed pattern, where the central motif and border were of different colours, as in this example.
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