This piece covered in pure white glaze was made to be inserted into the arms of religious figures possibly as a replacement for those that broke. Modelled by hand, this example is crude in the details.Dehua, a district in Fujian province, is the production centre for white porcelain, which is known to the Chinese as 'zhuyoubai' (pork-grease white) or 'xiangyabai' (ivory white), and to the Europeans, 'blanc de Chine' (white porcelain). As these names suggest, Dehua porcelain has a white body, consisting predominantly of porcelain stone ('baidunzi') with minute amounts of clay. This porcelain was produced as early as the 14th century. However, production and quality peaked in the 17th century. A variety of techniques, including press-moulding and slip-casting, were used to create a wide repertory of wares. This ranged from religious figurines to scholar’s objects and enamelled wares.
