Plate, 9 inches diameter. Brown transfer. Impress maker's mark for W. T. Copeland & Sons. The impressed L82 indicates a manufacture date of July 1882. The "Cairo" pattern (no. 2/1796) was introduced in 1881. The border, known as "Arabesque," is seen on all the patterns in this series. The central image here features a horizontal rolling scroll with a scene of a Near Eastern town on both banks of a river or lake filled with sailboats. The scene is bordered on the left by flowers and grass. The scroll is superimposed over blooming irises and two cartouches filled with geometric designs, including the seigaha (wave) pattern.

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.