The two dishes pictured here are examples of ceramics probably made at Linru, in the Henan province of China during the Jin dynasty (1115-1234). During this period, the kilns at Linru produced wares that imitated those made at the Yaozhou kilns in the neighbouring Shaanxi provine. Yaozhou wares were popular for their olive green glazes and their detailed surface designs. These wares appear to be very similar to their Yaozhou contemporaries, but their glazes have very slight differences in colour and shine that reveal they were probably fired slightly differently.

The craftspeople of both Yaozhou and Linru used moulds to achieve their intricate surface designs some of the time, avoiding the time consumption and labour intensity hand carving. This process began with one master dish carved by hand and fired. A convex ‘hump-mould’ was then made from the master, from which multiple dishes could be made, saving time and resources.