Fencai wares, known to the west as famille rose or famille verte depending on the palette used,
were first produced in the Kangxi period and became popular in the Yongzheng and Qianlong
periods. Fencai is a kind of overglaze decoration with which designs exude a great sense of
three-dimensionality and is capable of producing effects of tonal gradation that is lacking in the
previous overglaze wares. This great improvement on execution is made possible by introducing
a substance referred to as "glass white" applied to areas where the design should be drawn, so
as to create the effect of opacity. When the colour enamels are applied, a brush is used to wash
out the the colour as in ink painting. The most common subjects on fencai wares during the
Yongzheng period include bird-and-flower design and figural compositions. They are finely composed
and the colours used are delicate. By the time of the Qianlong period, designs became more intricate
in nature.