In the foreground of this medium blue transfer toy plate, a group of peasants gather around a spring which gurgles up amidst overgrown debris and towering columns and arches.  Beyond, the rolling countryside seems to extend to infinity, while off to the left, a series of porticoes indicates this is a spot of ancient, now ruined glory. A topsy turvy border of florals, ground patterns, and architectural detail extends a sense of ruin brought on by time and nature.

The theme of native peoples going about the business of everyday life among the ruins of far greater civilizations was one of unending fascination in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.  Artists like Hubert Robert depicted the contrast of modern folk  functioning among the unexcavated ruins of earlier monuments.  Even Nathaniel Hawthorne focused on the theme of a present past  in The Marble Faun. 

One note on the piece at hand. There is considerable discussion around the uses of these little plates. Some see them as a coaster of sorts for one's nighttime toddy.  On the other hand, in the early part of the nineteenth century, the Staffordshire potters started aggressively pursuing the newly affluent classes with toys and trifles for their children.