These three 'magnolia blossom' cups have a common relief decoration of plum blossoms on one side and leafy sprays on the other. It is thought the term ‘magnolia blossom’ cup is derived from a perception of the tapering magnolia-shaped profile although magnolia blossoms also made a rare appearance. Several varieties of this cup (including a more naturalistic magnolia flower form) with a reticulated base in the form of a woody stem, can also be found in rhinoceros horn (see (2000-03356).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.
