Founded in France in 1740, the National Sèvres Manufactory was established to support the porcelain and ceramic creation. It then became also a museum, exhibiting the finest ceramic pieces from public and private collections. Today, the museum houses the biggest European collection with 50,000 ceramic pieces, from various eras and countries. The establishment of the most traditional porcelain creation, the Sèvres Manufactory more recently welcomed renowned contemporary artists such as Alexander Calder, Serge Poliakoff, Chu Teh-Chun and Louise Bourgeois, thus asserting its international reputation.

In 1970, Zao Wou-Ki collaborated for the first time with the Sèvres Manufactory and decorated a series of 52 porcelain plates. During autumn 2008, the artist undertook another decoration project, this time on a 'Diane' porcelain plate. A Sèvres artisan then replicated the pattern of a watercolor by Zao under the scrupulous supervision of the artist. The warm colors of the plate are inspired by the flowers of his garden in Southern France.