This bowl belongs to a range of Peranakan porcelain known as the "butterfly series with surname". These are pink ground pieces decorated with prominent pairs of butterflies and peonies which also feature the Chinese characters of family surnames usually inscribed along the rim - in this case the "Pan" surname. The bowl would have likely been commissioned by the Pan family as part of a large dinnerware service. This service would have been used during a tok panjang, or a large feast celebrating a special occasion.
