This is one of the many curious figurative pieces that have been found in Western collections of blanc de Chine. The rider wears a Western style hat, tunic, breeches and high-heeled boots. He appears to be sitting somewhat drunkenly on his horse. A porcelain specialist has identified the unsteady posture as characteristic of puppet figures but says nothing further about who these characters might be or whether they were intended to have a comic appearance. A small cylindrical tube attached to the hind leg of the horse indicates that this piece was intended as an incense burner, although it is doubtful that it was used in that way in Europe. Such pieces were possibly made for the domestic market and for later export to Europe.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.
