These serving dishes take a shell form rather than a plain round or oval bowl, fluted edges and decorative moulding carrying the theme through, with looping scroll handles on either side. Royal Crown Derby's decoration sits within that shape: a white ground bordered in cobalt blue, gilded throughout, and hand-painted with floral garlands and bouquets in pink, yellow and blue polychrome enamel.
The backstamp used here was in production between 1891 and 1921, narrowing the dating to c. 1910's within that window, and the pattern is numbered 4998, a useful reference if you're ever trying to track down matching pieces from the same run. Given the size and the shell form, these work well for butter, scallops, or caviar, small enough for a single portion without looking sparse on the table.
