Decorative Details Ellis Rowan was commissioned by Sydney-based China importers to visit New Guinea and paint wildflowers and Birds of Paradise. Comparing the paintings she made of Birds of Paradise on paper with the plate designs she painted on the muslin discs, indicates that she likely painted the former first because they are more closely aligned to her traditional working methods that is, being watercolour on rectangular sheets of paper. The gold borders on the discs resemble the gold rim of the plates.
Elaborate Plumage and Complex Mating Rituals Birds of Paradise refers to birds from the family Paradisaeidae of the order of Passeriformes. It includes 42 species and 15 genera. Most live in New Guinea. An abundance of food enabled the males to focus on attracting a mate, explaining their elaborate plumage and complex mating rituals.