Fez is an important centre for Moroccan pottery and is particularly associated with a distinctive form of blue and white ceramic ware which became popular in the late 19th century. These glazed Fassi (from Fez) wares were made by professional male potters as decorative tableware for urban consumers. Their style may have been influenced by the appearance of Chinese porcelain, historically made available through Mediterranean trade. Another factor was the availability of increasingly pure cobalt blue imported from Europe from the 1850s onwards.

Called a tabsil, this dish was used to serve foods with a sauce. It was donated to the Museum of Practical Geology by George Maw, founder of Maw & Co., a British manufacturer of ceramic tiles, and transferred to the V&A in 1901.