During the 16th and 17th centuries the Dehua kilns, situated in the province of Fujian in China, were renowned for their production of white porcelain figures and wares with an ivory-tinged glaze. These kilns were located near to rich deposits of petunse, composed of quartz and mica which, when mixed with kaolin, produces porcelain. In the West, Dehua wares such as this were later known as ‘blanc de Chine’, meaning ‘white of China’, a term coined by French historian Albert Jacquemart (1808-1875). This teapot, with its fluid, spherical form in the shape of a lotus bud is an example of the standardised, utilitarian shapes that the kilns were producing and exporting to Europe. During the 18th century Dehua wares were closely copied at European porcelain factories, such as Bow and Meissen, exemplifying the demand for such pieces.
