ABC Plate, The Travellers and the Bear

Title: ABC Plate, The Travellers and the Bear
Description: 1880? One ABC plate 7¼" in diameter. Various patterns encircle the alphabet displayed on the plate's rim. On its inner circle in capitals are "Æsop's Fables" above and "The Travellers and the Bear" below a pleasing design of a bear sniffing at the head of man on the ground while his mate climbs a nearby tree. $42.50 from Fletcher Art and Antiques, Warren, Maine, through eBay, Oct., '10.

There are three areas of green leaves on trees and an area of blue flowers on the ground. The absentee friend climbing the tree is also colored blue. Is it surprising that neither the bear nor the prostrate man has color? The bear suffers from the regular problem of having a human face imposed onto an animal frame. The word "Bear" in the title is clipped in its last two letters.
Source: $42.50 from Fletcher Art and Antiques, Warren, Maine, through eBay, Oct., '10.
Date: 1880?
Subject: The Travellers and the Bear; Tableware; Plates; ABC Plates