Painted in enamel on a copper plaque by an unknown Chinese artist c.1775-1800 CE, this relief was intended for the European market and was sold to Dutch merchants in Canton in the late 18th century. At the time, there was much interest and curiosity in European circles about China and the exotic East, tales which were eagerly recounted by merchants of the Dutch East India Company, missionaries and sailors. With a heavy demand for Chinese silk, Indian cloth and opium, as well as spices from the East Indies, many in Europe and the North America developed a fascination with Eastern culture, and Asian art and objets d'art were greatly prized.