Plate, 9 x 9 inches. Black transfer with polychrome clobbering. Impressed maker's mark for W. T. Copeland & Sons and an impressed datemark for September 1891. The red painted pattern number 2/428 belongs to a series introduced in 1876. This pattern features an unfurled Japanese horizontal scroll (emakimono) filled with a scene of two songbirds flying above wild irises growing out the water with bamboo stalks to the right. This scroll is superimposed over yellow irises and a butterfly 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.