Author: --
Size: D20.2cm
Signed and dated: Yongzheng Period，Qing Dynasty
Estimate: Estimate Upon Request
Final Price: RMB 44,000,000
Yongzheng Six-Character Mark
Each of the dishes is finely potted with thin sides rising to a flared mouth rim，resting on a straight foot-ring. The dishes are exquisitely enamelled with two branches in brown shades growing from the foot-ring. The branches on the exterior bear three ripe peaches shaded from bright pink to yellowish-green，and flowers in ruby pink and white with two bats in flight. The design continues over the rim onto the interior with three further bats in iron-red hovering above five peaches amidst blossoms. The leaves emerging from the branches are nicely enamelled in green with different tones.
The shining white glaze covers all over the dish except leaving the foot-ring exposed to show the pure and fine body. All the patterns are precisely outlined and enameled. The base is inscribed with six-character Yongzheng mark inside double-squares by underglazed-blue.
Provenance
The Mr. Hu Xianglin Collection and Thence by Descent Within the Family
Such kind of dishes painted with clusters of fruiting peach branches is no doubt the finest and highest quality products of the Imperial kilns of the Yongzheng reigns. The clay and porcelain stone used is exceptionally pure and finely mixed. The design also implies very auspicious meanings. Firstly，the five “bats” and eight “peaches” in Chinese bear the same pronunciation to “fortune” and “longevity” which are definitely very suitable for presenting them to the celebration of imperial birthdays. Secondly，the number of red bats is five and each of them represents the Five Blessings of longevity，wealth，health，virtue and peaceful death.
Thirdly，the branches are exquisitely composed. They are painted from the underside section of the dish，then over the rim towards the centre. In such way，the branches continue and go across both surfaces of the dish. So it is obvious to know that the design strongly enhances the concept of “continuity” which is coherent to the bat and peach to give a blessing of continuous and endless fortune and longevity.
Such quality of work continues to be made in Qianlong reign. For the items with similar design in Qianlong，they are usually painted with nine peaches while the present lot produced in Yongzheng period only bears eight peaches. The number of peaches on the porcelain is quite consistent in Yongzheng’s production. See a Famille-rose “Eight Peach” Vase Tianqiuping with mark of Yongzheng from the Palace Museum in Beijing，published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelains with Cloisonne Enamel Decoration and Famille-rose Decoration，Hong Kong，1999，pl. 45.
Examples of these peach dishes are found in major museums and private collections worldwide，including one sold in Poly Beijing，6 June 2015，Lot 6340. See also a larger one （D 20.5 cm） from the Dr. James D. Thornton Collection，recently sold in Christie’s Hong Kong，29 November 2017，Lot 2808 for HKD 13，900，000. Some of these dishes bear a six-character reign marks within double-squares，like in the case of the present lot，while some others’mark appears within double-circles. See one from T.T. Tsui collection，sold in Poly Beijing，8 December 2015，Lot 7406.
For more museum examples，see one in the Shanghai Museum and illustrated in Ancient Chinese Ceramics Gallery，Shanghai，1996，pl. 83. Another spectacular dish can be also found in the Percival David Foundation，illustrated by R. Scott，A Guide to the Collection，London，1989，no. 111.
An Exceptionally rare pair of famille-rose‘Peach and Bats’Plates
