Here is avery rare and highly collectible plate by Wedgwood depicting the artistry  and wit of Swedish descendant Augustus Ludwig Jansson.  The plate depicts a the King of Clubs, with Jansson's classic quarter moon shaped eyelids and a whimsical poem.  On either side of the King reads the short poem / quote:

 "YE KING OF CLUBS DOTH MAKE DECREE

JUST WHERE AND WHEN THY LUCK SHALL BE"

The plate has a zig-zag geometric border in green with golden taupe lustre around the rim.  

Jansson was born in West Somerville, MA on April 17, 1866.  

As a commercial artist and a cartoonist Jansson's work appeared in comic strips, in book illustrations, advertising, and on postcards. Census records show A. L. Jansson's employment in 1910 to be in advertising and in 1920 as a salesman but it is not clear whether this was for a printing company.

Comic strips at the beginning of the 20th century were not the same as we see today. As Moon Rhymes and In Plaiddie Land Jansson's early  comic work was published in 1901 in the Boston Herald, and from April 17 to July 3, 1904 his segmented cartoon The Odd Folks Baseball Team appeared in the newspaper's Sunday color strip. Also in 1904, his images appeared in the newspaper's illustrated stories of the American Revolution.

That same year his work was published by Caldwell in the book Hobby Hoss Fair. Jansson's work for Queen City Publishing Ink Co. extended over several years. His larger illustrations for them offered more complex pictures found on full page layouts in the trade journal Inland Printers. Five years later Wedgwood produced on their Etrurian China, an entire set of porcelain dinnerware with Jansson's figures of kings, queens and their court. Some remark about these characters as reminiscent of playing card figures

AESTHETIC MOVEMENT TRANSFERWARE PLATE
Wedgwood
Circa 1909

Measures: 10"
Condition: No chips or cracks. 

Marked on back as shown:Rd No 550208 Etruria England Copyright 1909 by Augusts L Jansson West Somerville, MASS 

Impressed WEdgwood stamp and 3AM  hand numbered A 5424 over 7