The Ginori company, founded in 1735 in Doccia near Florence, built its reputation on imitations of Italian lustred wares and maiolica of around 1500. Under the Marchese Lorenzo Ginori Lisci (d.1878), director from 1848, the pottery produced designs reflecting more varied and more contemporary tastes but also continued making its successful lustred wares. In 1896 the pottery came under the ownership of Giulio Richard who already owned other factories. Combined, the new company was known as the Società Ceramica Richard-Ginori.

The image of 'Chasandra' on this fruit dish follows a Renaissance style of maiolica portraiture. It is possibly modelled after an Urbino example today in the State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg (Inv.F.403) that was once part of the Spoleto collection, sold and dispersed in 1870 around the time Ginori produced this example. The intricate shape, pale colouring and decoration on the Ginori fruit dish is typical of a later period of Urbino tin-glaze wares.

The fruit dish, model 18, decoration 219, was produced by Ginori as early as 1862 for the London International Exhibition. It is listed in the factory's inventory of wares exhibited as one of two versions, 'Liviabella e Cassandra', probably intended as a pair. Another example with a central male figure was exhibited at the 1873 Vienna International Exhibition and bought by the National Museum of Scotland (A.1873.91.1).

The dish model, number 18, was published in the factory's trade catalogue 'Manifattura Ginori a Doccia presso Firence, fondata nel 1735' in 1873, with the male portrait centre. Other examples of this model with alternative decorations were produced and further illustrated in a trade catalogue of ca.1905. One decorated with a central cupid, one with animals and masks and another larger version of the fruit dish, model 299, are shown in the same catalogue.

The production of this model from 1862 to 1905 demonstrates the continuing popularity of the historic revivalist styles into the 20th century.