Butter pat, 4 inches diameter. Blue transfer. Printed maker's mark for the Empire Porcelain Co. of the Empire Works in Hanley, Staffordshire, England. This pattern features an underwater scene of two fish swimming with grasses emerging from underneath the water and arching above.

The Empire Porcelain Company was in business by 1895 - probably the works were under construction. The original partners were made up of members of the Austrian families of Rosenfeld and Lazarus who ran other ceramic factories in Europe. The Empire Porcelain Company operated from two factories, either side of Elgin Road - one of which may originally have belonged to Grimwade Bros.