A CHINESE COPPER-RED 'SAN DUO' VASE, MEIPING

18TH CENTURY

Painted with three large sprays of fruiting branches bearing peaches, pomegranates and finger citron, the design set above a band of pendant leaves, the shoulder decorated with spearheads and key fret, with flowerheads to the short gently flaring neck, 35.5cm.

Provenance: from the collection of Lady Molly McAlpine (d.1987), and thence by descent. According to the family, the vase was purchased from Thomas Goode & Co.

Peaches, pomegranates and finger citron together form the san duo, or the Three Abundances, which are long life, many sons and blessings. The peach represents longevity, whilst the pomegranate is a symbol of many sons because of the fruit's many seeds. The Chinese word for finger citron, foshou, is homophonous with fushou, meaning good fortune and long life.

Cf. The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red (III), p.189, no.173 for a Qianlong mark and period copper-red meiping similarly decorated with sprays of the san duo; see also S Jenyns, Later Chinese Porcelain, pl.XXII, no.2 for a smaller comparable Qianlong vase painted with fruit from the Garner Collection; see also Christie's Hong Kong, 29th May 2007, lot 1465 for a small 18th century example also painted with the san duo; see also Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8th April 2011, lot 3132 for a related underglaze red 'phoenix' meiping with a similar band of plantain leaves above the foot.