This tulip vase was made in Delft in Holland. From the middle of the 17th century, the city was a centre for the manufacture of tin-glazed earthenware (which came to be known as Delftware), and makers often tried to produce wares resembling porcelain from China and Japan. During this period, tulips became fashionable and the costly bulbs came to be seen as investments. Vases of this kind allowed each tulip to be enjoyed in its own right.