Copeland porcelain cabinet plate hand painted blue & white Chinese figures - gilded highlights sky blue ground border antique impressed date code 1882

A Copeland porcelain cabinet plate, hand painted in blue and white with two male Chinese figures apparently working in a field or garden. The older of the two is hammering the lid of a box, whilst the other perhaps a boy, is carrying another box on his right shoulder. There are gilded highlights to the painting. The scene is reminiscent of the paintings and drawings of Jean-Baptiste Pillement.

The plate is ribbed and scalloped with a very ornate border with a sky blue ground and ornate gilding. This particular high quality plate is marked in green on the back Copeland, and is impressed with the date code for May 1882. Manufactured by W.T. Copeland and sons ltd of Spode Works, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England.

This plate rings nicely when flicked with a finger. It is a very good quality item with a fine body with an interesting subject nicely hand painted scene. It is in very good antique condition, there are two tiny nicks to the back of the rim and some extremely minor wear and marks commensurate with age and use.

The plate measures 8 1/4 inches (21 cm) diameter and 3/4 inch  (1.8 cm) high. It weighs 342 grammes unpacked. This is a very nice plate and a great example of an uncommon pattern hand painted in blue and white with additional gilding. This item dates from the Victorian period of the late 19th Century.