Many of the forms and motifs of 15th-century porcelains can be interpreted as reflections of broad historical or cultural concerns. The mythical winged creatures flying over the waves on this stem cup, painted with underglaze blue and overglaze red enamel, have been interpreted as references to China's position as the world's most important seafaring empire in the 15th century. One of these creatures, a flying-fish dragon (feiyu), is rare and seems to have been used in Chinese ceramics briefly during the middle of the Ming dynasty; its appearance has also been related to the tightening of Ming regulations regarding what types of dragons and how many claws were permitted to different categories of officials and other groups at court. Other motifs include winged fish, elephants, horses, and deer, and are commonly found on ceramics bearing reign marks of the Xuande, Chenghua, and Wanli (1573-1620) eras, providing a 15th-century date for the development of this theme.

The appearance of this type of motif has also been linked to the renewed interest in the Classic of the Seas and Mountains (Shanhai Jing) during the Chenghua era. Many of the animals depicted can be identified by reference to this source. For example, it mentions both celestial horses and flying fish. Although the better known and more current recensions of the Classic of the Seas and Mountains date to the Qing period (1644-1912), much of this literature is earlier and can be traced back in some form to the Eastern Zhou period (771-221 BCE). Moreover, several of the Xuande-era examples of this motif have Sanskrit inscriptions written on the interiors of their bases, which suggests a link between this imagery and the practice of Buddhism. Because the motif of mythical and quasimythical creatures flying over the waves appears to have been used primarily on stem cups like this one, and on bowls of high quality, it is tempting to link the development of this theme to some sect of Buddhism and some sort of religious practice.