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Plate in hard-paste porcelain, inset base wiped clean of glaze, cushion-moulded profile with flaring flange and plain rim; at the centre is a coat of arms flanked by two large dragons in black enamel above a ribbon banner, surrounded by a border of circles with pendants, around the well are four cartouches in reserve, three are painted with stylised antiques or scholars' objects in red, blue and yellow enamels with gilt and the other with a black dragon atop a coronet, each cartouche has a simple lobed border, between the cartouches are stylised chyrsanthemums and a hexagonal fill pattern with sunbursts in red enamel and gilt, around the flange are different groupings of flowers, foliage and (?)stylised antiques and the rim has a border pattern in red enamel and gilt of quatrefoils within diamonds seperated by areas of hatching, above which is a plain band of orange-brown enamel in imitation of gilding, four sprigs of stylised flowers in red enamel on the reverse.

During the eighteenth century the trade of Chinese porcelain was controlled by the English East India Company. The Company’s employees were allowed to trade privately and often commissioned pieces decorated with European subjects or services painted with coats of arms. This plate is decorated with the Arms of Thomas, 1st Lord Trevor (1658-1730) and his wife, Anne Weldon.