AMENDMENTS: A Chinese porcelain 'nine peaches' jardiniere, mid-19th century, painted in famille rose enamels with a fruiting peach tree issuing nine peaches, with lingzhi sprigs at the foot of the tree, 35cm high Notes: The peach is one of China’s most auspicious fruits, and has a rich, enduring association with longevity, and also as a harbinger of happiness. In the Shi Jing, edited by Confucius (551-479 BC) and the oldest existing collection of Chinese poetry, the peach is used as a metaphor for thriving marriage and family. In the mythology of the Queen Mother of the West, the ‘peaches of immortality’ are said to grow in the garden of Xi Wangmu. These peaches flower once every three thousand years, take three thousand years to bear fruit and another three thousand years to ripen, after which they are offered in a banquet to the immortals. The number nine ? is an auspicious number, the word ji? being a homophone with a word that means ‘long lasting’ and ‘eternity’. The nine peaches in combination with the lingzhi sprigs at the base of the fruiting tree create a powerful motif, evoking a wish for longevity.

One 23cm section of the edge of the rim has been restored, and an associated 28cm hairline