This vessel, moulded in the shape of a turtle, is one of many different forms of water-droppers made at Dehua, in Fujian province, renowned for production of white porcelain. This one has Daoist trigrams ('ba gua') moulded on its back. The thin potting and cold white glaze can be found on many other small moulded vessels including exported pieces of the late 17th century. The turtle was identified in the Book of Rites as one of the four spiritually endowed animals together with the dragon, phoenix and tiger. It is a symbol of strength and longevity in Chinese art. It also represents the universe which rests on its back, while its belly represents the earth. The trigrams are thought to have originated from the markings on tortoise shells.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.
