This figure of a bearded sage is shown carrying a scroll. He is seated behind a half table. The piece is covered in a thick creamy-toned glaze. The contrasting depths of the naturalistically carved drapery, and the finely incised features such as the face, beard, and patterned shoe, add a sense of liveliness to the piece. The arm-rest was probably modelled separately and applied. The identity of this sage remains unclear. It bears some resemblance to Laozi, the founder of Daoism (also known as Shou Lao). The facial features, clothing, scroll, and even the expression are similar to those in other depictions of the sage.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.
