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.

This large tureen, or jubbana, was originally used to curdle milk (its name comes from the Arabic for cheese, jubna) but today it is more often associated with the serving of harira, a traditional soup served at festivals, especially during Ramadan. The tureen 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. The Maw company won many medals and awards at the international exhibitions which were a feature of the late 19th century. A label inside the tureen suggests that it was loaned to one such exhibition by George Maw.