This box was probably formed and decorated as a two-piece mould. Boxes have been amongst the more popular products since the 13th century, together with bowls, kendis (water pot) and vases. This kidney-shaped box may have been used as a container for betel leaf or lime paste for betel chewing. They were also exported to Europe, where it is thought they were used as salt and pepper containers. These later Dehua wares of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties were more translucent and the glazes had a greater brilliance than the earlier wares. They are described as having the quality of milky glass or white marble.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.
