Dish with a standing woman, and a garniture consisting of two vases and three pots

For centuries, female figures were depicted on Chinese ceramics as part of narrative representations, which most Chinese people immediately recognized. However, in the course of the 17th century, the woman, the ‘Long Eliza,’ appears as a separate decorative element, in various poses. These objects were also made for European buyers, which may explain the use of the women as separate element; Europeans were not familiar with the Chinese stories’ context.