A pale celadon jade 'prunus' vase, Qing dynasty, 18th century

Collection of Stephen Junkunc, III (d. 1978).

The blossoms of the plum tree (prunus) are symbolic of perseverance and purity. Plum blossoms flourish through the cold winter months and announce the coming of spring through their vitality. They are often associated with literati taste to signify the loftiness and persistence of the cultivated man. The five petals are also emblematic of the Five Blessings: old age, wealth, health, love of virtue, and a peaceful death. 

Compare a pale celadon jade example, also in trunk form decorated on the sides with a pine tree and a crane, in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Zhongguo Yuqi Quanji, vol. 6: Qing [The Complete Collection of Chinese Jade], Hebei, 1991, pl. 284. See also a gray and brown jade vase carved with prunus from the Alan and Simone Hartman Collection, illustrated in Robert Kleiner, Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, Hong Kong, 1996, pl.118, later offered at Christie's Hong Kong, 28th November 2006, lot 1379. See also a white and russet jade 'prunus' brush pot sold at Christie's London, 10th May 2016, lot 53.