Pattern 2423 Spode Dessert Plate in bone china measuring approximately 8 1/2 inches or 21.5 cms in diameter and all hand painted with exotic birds on branches & a central sprig of flowers enclosed by a gilt dentil border plus a wide band of mauve-pink & blue overlapping 'peacock' feathers together with an outer gilt dentil border.
This design was first produced by the English Chelsea porcelain company c1760 in the French Rococo style of Sevres; it was reintroduced by Spode c1816 & is recorded in the Spode Pattern Book as 'Fancy Birds'. This is yet another example of Spode reproducing earlier designs which were held in high regard & thus would be eagerly purchased by the upper middle & trading classes who aspired to own objects which previously only royalty & the mega rich landed gentry could afford.
You can see a faint stray line of mauve-pink running through one of the branches & leaves towards the exotic bird, initially I thought this must have been a slip of the artist's brush which has been wiped & concealed reasonably well.
The birds appear to have been sketched in using the mauve-pink enamel and here you can see that there seems to be another superfluous brush stroke from the birds breast through its leg.
Again on the third bird (on the right) you can see another mauve-pink line through the branch & leaves towards the bird. I am wondering now if the artist just brushed in a cursory line to help with where the bird was to be placed?
You can also see some wear to the mauve-pink 'peacock' feather design which is very common on this particular Spode pattern and has usually occurred when the plates have been stacked and a slightly rough base has scratched the decorative enamel face of the next plate. This plate is in much better condition than many others I have seen.
This pattern is illustrated in Leonard Whiter's 1978 Second Edition book on Spode but only in a black & white photo (number 195) which cannot possibly do this pattern justice. Leonard notes that this plate was owned by R S Copeland Esq; & most probably it would have been displayed in the Spode Museum Collection at that time although since the Copeland China Collection was sold in 2013 this may no longer be the case.
The back of this Spode Dessert Plate is marked in the mauve-pink enamel with 'SPODE' & its pattern number '2423' but it has not worn very well & is now very hard to read.
A part Dessert Service in this pattern 2423 by Spode was sold at Christie's auction house in New York 11th October 2007, you can see the details here: https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/a-spode-part-service-circa-1805-iron-red-4973559-details.aspx
Lot number 468 of Bonhams sale dated 24/7/2013 was a pair of these Spode dessert plates which had been part of the Copeland China Collection & was sold as part of the Contents of Trelissick House. They sold for £687, see details here: https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21214/lot/468/
A pair of Chelsea Dessert Plates & covered Chocolate Cups in this same pattern dating to c1760 were sold by Christie's New York in their 27 October 2015 Property of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY 'American Collecting in the English Tradition' auction which you can see here: https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/a-pair-of-chelsea-porcelain-puce-ground-dessert-5938984-details.aspx?from=salesummery&intObjectID=5938984&sid=e278aea0-ff7f-4ac1-b9e8-992197bfab91