A crisply potted earthenware plate is colored in mottled greys, browns yellows, and greens, produced by the blending of different colored glazes. Not content with leaving his decoration entirely to chance, the potter has created brighter highlights of green and yellow at key points of the border and in five spots in the well. The molded border features foliage wreaths (laurel?) between alternating fields of diaper patterns featuring subtly differing diamond motifs. The rococo scallop shape reveals the influence of contemporary silver design.

Demand for porcelain was high in the second half of the eighteenth century, but enterprising potters saw the potential in earthenwares which could be more easily and cheaply produced. The result was a period of experimentation often with delightful results. Wares such as this have traditionally been identified with the partnership between Thomas Whieldon and Josiah Wedgwood that began in 1754. Recognizing that such production was not exclusive, however, more modern sources employ the generic term "tortoiseshell."