AN ENAMELED PORCELAIN CLUSTER OF LYCHEES, SERVING AS A BRUSHREST, QING DYNASTYChina, 1644-1912. Naturalistically modeled from soft paste porcelain as two ripe lychees borne on a leafy branch, the fruits finely painted in a deep pink tone, the leaves in dark green transforming to a pale yellow, and the gnarly branch in variegated shades of brown with dark green accents. A seal mark to the branch.Provenance: British trade.Condition: Very good condition with minor wear.Weight: 89.6 gDimensions: Length 5.8 cmIn China, lychees are a symbol of love and romance. According to legend, Emperor Tang Minghuang of the Tang Dynasty was in love with Yang Guifei, one of the most beautiful women and the Emperor’s favorite concubine. Yang’s preferred fruit was lychee. At the time, it was not available in the capital where they lived. The Emperor would therefore send his men all the way to South China to fetch the fruit for his beloved mistress. Lychee fruits, to date, are held in high regard in China. In fact, many varieties of lychees are named after wealthy and influential Chinese families. Lychees are often a motif in Chinese art where they can be seen in paintings, porcelain ware, cinnabar lacquer, and jade carvings amongst others.清代荔枝筆擱中國，1644-1912年。兩顆紅紅荔枝長在樹枝上，果實被細緻地塗成深紅色，葉子從深綠色轉變為淡黃色，樹枝呈棕色和深綠色，活靈活現。樹枝上有款記。