Europe's fascination with all goods associated with China began in the seventeenth century as exemplified by the prominent display of imported porcelain and Delft produced to imitate these porcelains. A pattern for a Chinese room published by court designer Daniel Marot in circa 1700 shows a room with brackets and mantel supporting various Chinese urns and vases. Indeed the chimneypiece itself is filled with similar urns and vases (see H. Honour, Chinoiserie: The Vision of Cathay, New York, 1961, fig.23). Similarly, Chinese bowls are mentioned in the 1710 inventory at Dyrham Park as standing 'in ye chimney' of the principal rooms.
Stands supporting these Chinese bowls were developed at this time. In the Marot design, the chimney display is centered by one such stand with incurved legs supporting a vase. Carved walnut stands of this date with scroll supports are in the Royal collection at Hampton Court Palace (see R. Edwards, The Dictionary of English Furniture, rev.edn., 1954, vol.III, p.154, fig.1). By the mid-18th century, Thomas Chippendale's Director and rival pattern book, Universal System of Household Furniture issued by Ince and Mayhew, include designs for stands in the fashionable rococo manner. Chippendale's 'Stands for China Jars' of 1760, pl.CXLIX in the 1762 edition, shows elaborate garland-strewn examples. Ince and Mayhew's 'Stands for Figures and China jars', plate LI, (see fig. 1) shows a stand similar in design to this pair with its scroll legs centered by icicle drops. While the raised rim on this pair serves to prevent the jar from falling off the stand, the Mayhew pattern features a galleried or carved edge to the top. Despite the publication of stand designs, this pair is a rare survival of this form of furniture.