This dessert plate decorated with paintings of sparrows and a bright blue border was not part of an official state service, but was likely used by President Chester A. Arthur. Rather than purchasing a new state service, President Arthur used the Hayes china for state dinners and family meals. However, special china services, such as this plate, may have been used for receptions and afternoon teas or were just ornamental or cabinet pieces for display. The printed mark on the plate’s reverse shows it was most likely part of the 1882 purchase from Tiffany & Co.

These porcelain plates were procured for the White House by Louis Comfort Tiffany, of Tiffany and Company, in the 1880s. President Chester Arthur invited Tiffany to redecorate the White House soon after he entered office. The plate on the left was made by the Worcester Royal Porcelain Company of England. The plate on the right was likely also made in England.

This maker's mark appeared on the back of a dinner plate made by the Worcester Royal Porcelain Company of Worcester, England, for Tiffany and Company in 1882. The plate was part of a service that President Chester Arthur ordered for the White House.