Prestonpans was an early centre of industrial ceramics in Scotland. At one time there were several potteries in the town and nearby district making everything from stoneware bottles and jars to fine domestic wares and decorative items.

This plate was moulded and coloured as a cabbage leaf. The detail includes the uneven texture of the leaf with raised veining, a textured rim and a short 'stalk'. The base has a scroll containing the maker's mark BELFIELD & CO.

Charles Belfield established a pottery in Prestonpans in the 1830s; it survived for over a century. This plate is from the earlier part of the Victorian period, although the mould may have been in use for many years and was perhaps purchased from an earlier pottery.