Many people own, without knowing it, plates and other crockery that have inscribed on them a story about love, betrayal and death. The pattern, dating to the early 19th Century were produced on demand and since many imitations have been made, not only on plates but on all sorts of crockery including dishes, kettles and sugar pots.

The Company

The Story

Long ago in China there was a rich Mandarin who lived with his beautiful daughter, Koong-se, as well as all his employees. One of his employees, a secretary named Chang, fell in love with Koong-se but their affections were soon discovered by her angry father, who banished Chang and built a fence around his garden so that she could only walk to the edge of the garden or to the side of the water.

Saddened by her loss, Koong-se moped around the garden for days, staring out into the water thinking of her loved one. One day while staring over the water, a shell fitted with sails found its way to Koong-se who picked it up and found within a poem and a bead she had once given Chang as a present - she knew her lover was close. Things went from bad to worse, though, when she found out it bad been arranged for her to marry Ta-jin, an honourable Duke, who would be arriving soon with a celebratory gift of jewels to give to his betrothed.

In celebration the Mandarin threw an enourmous banquet and hired more servants for the day, one of whom Chang managed to persuade to give up their robes to him. Dressed in servant's clothes, Chang passed through the guests unnoticed and made his way to Koong-se's room. The two vowed to run away together and the Mandarin, Duke and banquet guests had drunk so much wine that nobody noticed the two lovers leaving the house until suddenly the Mandarin saw them making their way across a bridge over water. The couple escaped and stayed with a maid who had been fired by the Mandarin for conspiring with the two lovers' secret.

The Mandarin, realising that they had taken a case of jewels, vowed that when he found the two he would use the case as a pretext to have Chang tried with him presiding as magistrate. Spies of the Mandarin, however, heard word of a man hiding in a house near the river. Realising guards were coming to ransack the house, Chang jumped into the torrent outside, leaving Koong-se to assume he had drowned. Days later the guards came again, but just before Chang appeared on a boat and took Koong-se to an island where they lived in happiness, Chang supporting them by selling his much-loved stories.

As with all tragedies though, Chang became the source of his own downfall. His writing became so popular that years later the Mandarin heard of Chang's writings and wherabouts. He sent guards instantly to the distant island who put a sword to him. Koong-se set fire to the house with everyone inside so that she would die with her true love. As their bodies burned and the smoke rose into the sky, the Gods, touched by the love of the couple, immortalised them into two doves, free to live together in the air forever.