Blue-and-white porcelain dish with a herring motif, made in China for the Netherlands, c. 1753–1776 This small, rectangular dish features a central design of two herrings placed head-to-tail. The rim is adorned with a frieze of peonies and foliage, topped by a decorative border featuring a repeating pattern of small flowers. Eight stylized florets formed by four dots adorn the reverse side of the rim, and the base shows five small fish. 24 x 17.5 cm Small chips along the edges. Inspired by 18th-century Delftware, these Chinese porcelain herring dishes were produced for the V.O.C. in two sizes: a narrow 14-cm model for one herring and a large 17-cm model for two, identical to the example shown here. The Company’s archives in Amsterdam attest to the importance of this market, with 158 pieces imported in 1753 (ship Roozenburg), 439 in 1773, and 406 in 1776, distributed evenly between the two sizes. Source: (C.J.A. Jörg, 1982, p. 179).