This bearded standing figure of Damo (达摩, also known as Bodhidharma) has crackled glaze effect on the robes, hat and staff. The figure stands on a wave with a staff in one hand and a small vessel in the other. Dehua figurines like this one are usually constructed using methods of press-moulding and slip-casting. They are then hand-finished to eliminate any tell-tale traces of the production process. Dehua porcelain is better known in the West as blanc-de-chine porcelain, which was exported to Europe in large quantities during the Qing dynasty. It rose to international significance around the 17th century and inspired aristocratic patronage in the development of new European porcelain. Its popularity at home and abroad continued and the kilns at Dehua remain prolific to this day.
