Famille-rose dish with design of happiness and longevity

This shallow dish with flared mouth and rounded foot rim is painted in famille rose with an auspicious design representing happiness and longevity. There are two peach branches, extending from the underside into the interior center, and five bats in coral red. On the base is the Yongzheng reign mark of the Qing dynasty. In underglaze blue, the two-column six-character mark is enclosed by a double square. 　　

This is a special kind of imperial ware, the use of which was restricted to the birthday of the emperor. While bat in Chinese (fu) is a play on the word for “happiness”, the peach is a symbol of longevity. The use of this design in famille rose was popular on dishes, bowls and globular vases. The best pieces were produced during the Yongzheng and Qianlong eras (18th century). The original Yongzheng design had eight peaches and five bats, representing the “Eight Immortals and Five Happinesses”, and later on in the Qianlong period one more peach was added. However, Yongzheng pieces were more exquisite.