Dish with Peaches and Bats

The famille-rose glazing technique utilized on this decorative plate was invented during the Yongzheng reign (1722-1735) of the Qing dynasty. The opaque pink tone of famille-rose glaze results from the mixing of gold with red pigment. This innovation allows a broader range of colors to be rendered in enamels. Wrapping from the lower portion of the plate and up along the right side are five peaches on a stretching branch. Three bats circle the opposite rim of the plate. The combination of peaches and bats appears often in the designs of the Yongzheng and Qianlong reigns. According to legend, whoever eats a peach from the garden of the Queen Mother of the West will gain immortality. Hence, peach becomes the symbol of longevity. The Chinese character for bats, "Fu", sounds the same as the character for happiness and therefore acts as a symbol of happiness. Decorating objects with these symbols represented a desire to acquire these traits.