A BLUE AND WHITE ‘NINE PEACHES’ BOWL, JIANGXI PORCELAINPANY, FIRST HALF OF 20TH CENTURYChina, Jingdezhen. Molded with a curving rim that arches inward above the floor of the shallow well. Vividly painted in crisp shades of cobalt blue with gnarled leafy branches bearing nine large peaches. The countersunk base with the six-character studio mark.Inscriptions: To the base, ‘Jiangxi Ciye Gongsi’.Provenance: From a German private collection.Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear and minimal firing irregularities.Weight: 106 gDimensions: Diameter 11.2 cmPeaches have traditionally been associated with Daoism and longevity. In mythology, the goddess Xiwangmu, the Queen Mother of the Western Paradise, owned a vast peach orchard, and it was said that anyone who ate the fruit would be immortal. As such, peaches are considered sacred and auspicious, and when used as a decorative motif, convey wishes for longevity and good fortune.The number nine is considered auspicious in Chinese astrology and folk beliefs. Representing the fullest expression of yang, nine is closely associated with heaven in that it evokes infinity, partly because it was the product of three times three, the most basic unit of three being heaven, earth, and man, and partly because the number nine is a homophone with the word ‘jiu’, meaning eternity.The Jiangxi Porcelain Studio (or Jiangxi Ciye Gongsi) is the most well-known Chinese porcelain studio of the first half of the 20th century, located in Jingdezhen. It was established in 1910 as a large semi-governmentpany funded by private owners and the five provinces of Hebei, Hubei, Jiangsu, Anhui, and Jiangxi. It is located near the Zhushan – the Pearl Hill – adjacent to the former Imperial porcelain workshops. It is often said that the Jiangxi Porcelainpany of the early 20th century replaced the Imperial kilns, making porcelains for the court in the last years of the Qing Dynasty.二十世紀上半葉青花“九桃“碟，江西瓷業公司款中國，景德鎮。敞口，弧壁，圈足内凹。胎質潔白細膩，釉面光潤，盤心裝飾九桃紋，一桃枝於盤內蜿蜒曲折，枝繁葉茂，共結九顆果實。此盤構圖疏密有致，繪畫精細工巧，青花濃淡相間。款識：江西瓷業公司