▁to ▁the ▁south . ▁ ▁The ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁M ing ▁dynast y ▁was ▁quickly ▁followed ▁by ▁a ▁dec ree ▁of ▁ 1 3 6 8 , ▁forb idd ing ▁trade ▁with ▁foreign ▁countries . ▁ ▁This ▁was ▁not ▁entirely ▁successful , ▁and ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁repeated ▁several ▁times , ▁and ▁the ▁giving ▁of ▁lav ish ▁imperial ▁diplom atic ▁g ifts ▁continued , ▁concentr ating ▁on ▁sil k ▁and ▁por cel ain ▁( 1 9 , 0 0 0 ▁pieces ▁of ▁por cel ain ▁in ▁ 1 3 8 3 ), ▁but ▁it ▁sever ely ▁set ▁back ▁the ▁export ▁trade . ▁The ▁policy ▁was ▁relax ed ▁under ▁the ▁next ▁em peror ▁after ▁ 1 4 0 3 , ▁but ▁had ▁by ▁then ▁greatly ▁stim ulated ▁the ▁production ▁of ▁pot tery ▁em ulating ▁Chinese ▁styles ▁in ▁the ▁Islam ic ▁world ▁itself , ▁which ▁was ▁by ▁now ▁reaching ▁a ▁high ▁level ▁of ▁quality ▁in ▁several ▁countries ▁( high ▁enough ▁to ▁fool ▁contemporary ▁Europe ans ▁in ▁many ▁cases ). ▁ ▁O ften ▁Islam ic ▁production ▁im itated ▁not ▁the ▁latest ▁Chinese ▁styles , ▁but ▁those ▁of ▁the ▁late ▁Y uan ▁and ▁early ▁M ing . ▁ ▁In ▁turn , ▁Chinese ▁pot ters ▁began ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 6 th ▁century ▁to ▁produce ▁some ▁items ▁in ▁over t ly ▁Islam ic ▁styles , ▁including ▁j umbled ▁ins cri ptions ▁in ▁Arab ic . ▁These ▁appear ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁made ▁for ▁the ▁growing ▁Chinese ▁Muslim ▁market , ▁and ▁probably ▁those ▁at ▁court ▁wish ing ▁to ▁keep ▁up