Delftware is a variety of earthenware with tin oxide added to its lead glaze formula to give an opaque white effect that was often used to imitate, or at least suggest, the appearance of Chinese porcelain. It forms part of the worldwide family of blue-and-white pottery, using variations of the cobalt decoration first developed in 14th-century Chinese porcelain. The city of Delft was the center of ceramics production in the Netherlands from about 1600 to 1850. Throughout the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company imported large quantities of Chinese porcelain, and the potters of Delft turned to this as a source of inspiration, closely copying much of it. Dutch delftware became a cheaper alternative to Chinese porcelain, and in the 17th and 18th centuries, Delftware was a major industry, exported from the Netherlands to all over Europe.

The practice of combining covered jars and vases into a set, usually consisting of five or seven pieces that came to be called a garniture, originated in China. Garnitures were frequently exported to the Netherlands during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) and were typically used by the Dutch for display on a cupboard. The lids are surmounted by seated fu-dog finials.