This large glazed porcelain platter from the Yuan period is inscribed with the name of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (r. 1627-1658). Although this platter has no decoration, it has been suggested that a gold pigment may once have been painted over the glaze, as similar platters with this type of decoration are known. The large size of the platter also reflects its intended market: it was most likely used to serve food to a large group of people. This custom differs from the Chinese tradition, in which numerous smaller bowls and plates are offered individually to each person sharing a meal.

Several Chinese porcelains are known that are inscribed with the name of Shah Jahan, his predecessor Jahangir, and his successor Aurangzeb. Shah Jahan is famous for his patronage of the arts--in particular, the building of the Taj Mahal--and he is also known to have been a collector of ceramics. However, there are no extant imperial collections from either the Mughal or Rajput courts of India comparable to those found in Turkey and Iran, and much less is known about the nature of imperial collecting in India. References to Chinese porcelains found in imperial Mughal memoirs and European accounts of this court make it clear that Chinese porcelains were held in high regard, even depicted in Indian paintings. It is not clear why certain pieces such as this platter were inscribed.

It is possible that this platter had been in Shah Jahan's family for generations and that he had it engraved as a mark of ownership or lineage. Or the ceramic might have been a gift from his Persian or Turkish counterparts, and later inscribed to record Shah Jahan's appreciation of this rare and precious object.