A rare and gorgeous set of three plates, from the range commissioned for the very upmarket  Samaritaine department store in the centre of Paris, on the riverside next to Pont Neuf, between the Louvre and Notre Dame.
 
They have a charming very French design of a birds and flowers with still life tableaux printed over the top. This style of design was popular about the time of Samaratine's founding in 1869.
 
They date from the late 19th century, the larger a French serving plate size (we may thik of it as a dinner plate), the two smaller perfect for lunch. French plates are traditionally smaller than English or American sizes.
 
There is some light age related staining,  more noticable underneath. The smaller plates measure 8.5" and the larger 9.5"