Earthenware soup plate made for Sir George Nares' Arctic Expedition of 1875. It is white glazed and transfer-printed in pale blue with an elaborate rope border and the badge of the expedition - a polar bear within a garter. The garter is inscribed 'ARCTIC EXPEDITION 1875'. The base is printed 'ALERT' ('HMS Alert 1856 was one of the expedition's two vessels). Three anchors printed on the underside of the rim are inscribed 'ARCTIC EXPEDITION 1875', 'W.T.COPELAND AND SONS'. The manufacturer's name and date mark are also impressed on the base. There are two similar plates in the museum's collections AAA5347-AAA5348.