This fish basin was made at the first quarter of the 18th c. in Jingdezhen which was the center of the porcelain production in China from the 14th c. onwards. The polychrome painted porcelain decoration started to spread during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and was highly developed and flourished in the 18th c. Europeans admiring the polychrome decorated porcelain named the separated categories: 'famille verte', 'famille rose' etc. One of the best examples of the 'famille verte' porcelain in the Hermitage is the basin with the lotus flowers and white birds. The theme of the painted design - 'birds and flowers' pattern - is traditional for the decoration of this group of porcelain.