Large dish with incised peony

This large white glazed dish incised with a floral design on the interior belongs to a group of Dehua roundware that consist of cups, plates, bowls, dishes, jars, wine flasks for daily use. These items were potted and carved by hand. They ranged in a variety of sizes and designs, some were quite small and plain while others were small with deeply carved decorations. It is thought dishes in 'blanc de chine' were usually in the form of Chinese saucers.Dehua, located on the southeast coast of Fujian province, is well known for its production of white porcelain, known to Europeans as 'blanc de Chine'. The earliest Dehua porcelain was produced as early as the 14th century but the production and quality of these porcelain peaked around the 17th and 18th centuries.