The bearded Immortal stands holding a peach. His aubergine robe is enamelled on the biscuit with peach sprays in green and yellow, with yellow under-robe enamelled with flowers. The rectangular base has a triangular flap to the front and is enamelled with diaper ornament and green upper and aubergine lower part on the ruyi-shaped feet  and biscuit base.

This piece was sold by Sparks as the Immortal Shoulao, but Major Duberly gave it the above attribution which is probably correct. Shoulao was most unlikely to have had a black beard, and was normally represented as elderly with a high domed forehead to emphasise his intelligence. Both Immortals have peaches as part of their symbolic decoration.

Literature: Anthony du Boulay, The Duberly Collection of Chinese Art at Winchester College (Winchester, 2019), p. 84

Provenance: Bequeathed as part of the Duberly Collection, 1978; purchased by Major Montagu and Lady Eileen Duberly from John Sparks, 14 October 1948 (£140)

Location: Not on display