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 ware 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 rosewater sprinkler was acquired by George Maw, founder of Maw & Co., a British manufacturer of ceramic tiles. Maw initially donated the sprinkler to the Museum of Practical Geology, Jermyn Street, London but in 1901 most of the Museum’s ceramic holdings were transferred to the South Kensington Museum (later V&A), including this item.