According to Bartholomew combining 5 bats with 8 peaches is an auspicious design and was commonly used as a good luck symbol going back to the early 1700s in the Ching Dynasty.  We clearly see this design in the picture of our Chinese vase [Okay, some of the peaches are around the sides of the pottery and not in the picture, but believe me, they are on the piece.]  This combination of 5 bats and 8 peaches wishes the person receiving them: “May you have both blessings and longevity.”  The 5 bats refer to a pun on the five blessings (logevity, wealth, health, love of virtue, and peaceful death) and the 8 peaches refer to the Eight Immortals who grant longevity.  [More on the Eight Immortals in another post.]