[China] Decorative Shakespeare Wall Plate made by Royal Doulton. "Sweet Swan of Avon. 1564 1616

England: Royal Doulton, 1932. Fine. Porcelain plate, 26.5 cm in diameter. Decorative color transfer printing, dominated by portrait of Shakespeare and a view of Stratford-upon-Avon in the background. The rim has cameo portraits of a dozen of Shakespeare's most famous characters -- Falstaff, Rosalind, Shylock, etc. Based on a marking on the back, we date the plate to 1932. The plate was reproduced a number of times later; we believe, this was the first full color iteration of the design.