This pair of twin figures in blanc de chine are thought to represent the pair of eccentric Buddhist monks, Hanshan and Shide, who lived during the 8th century. The Hehe twins represente the 'Twin Immortality of Harmony". The revival of Chan Buddhism and the popularity of themes such as Hanshan and Shide are thought to have prompted the production of such pieces during the late Ming.Whiteware such as these were made in Dehua, a district in Fujian province, that was famous for white porcelain, known to the Chinese as ‘zhuyoubai’ (pork-grease white) or ‘xiangyabai’ (ivory white), and to the Europeans as 'blanc de chine' (white porcelain). Dehua porcelain has a white body, consisting mostly of porcelain stone (‘baidunzi’) with minute amounts of clay. This porcelain was produced as early as the 14th century.
