"Rice plate" is the name ceramics collectors use for large, shallow bowls like this, which became popular in Southeast Asia. They were well-suited to the region's cuisine.This plate was made in England by Bell Pottery and carries their "Borneo" pattern, featuring a dragon and a phoenix. The phoenix might be modelled on the great argus, found chiefly in the Borneo, Sumatra, and Malay jungles. Patterns like this generate an excitement seldom experienced in the world of industrial ceramics. The pattern is a registered Bell design of 1890 (No. 149158).Transferware ceramics are decorated by a process in which a design is printed onto tissue paper, then transferred directly to the piece of pottery before firing, allowing for complicated designs to be produced quickly and without the need for skilled painters.
