made at Portobello, Midlothian
This earthenware plate was made around 1822, possibly at Reid's Pottery in Musselburgh in East Lothian. It is decorated with a relief-moulded painted profile of George IV and was probably produced to commemorate his visit to Scotland in that same year.
The basketwork rim has three panels bordered with scrollwork, each containing a crown within a wreath of a rose and thistle.
King George IV's visit was stage-managed by the author, Sir Walter Scott. King George was the first reigning monarch since Charles II to come to Scotland. The visit was enormously popular and generated a great many souvenirs.
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