Nothing says Christmas like punch and last week Lisa and Mitch looked at a very rare artefact held in the Mitchell Library collection... One of the things I always associate with Christmas is drinking punch. In my family, a big bowl of alcoholic punch is part of the festive celebrations. One of the more unusual entries we have in the Dictionary of Sydney is about a very rare artefact held in the Mitchell Library collection - the Sydney Punchbowl. This is a Chinese enameled porcelain punchbowl, dating from the 1810s. It's called the Sydney Punchbowl because around the outside of the bowl is painted a panoramic view of Sydney. And in the bowl's interior are a grounp of Aboriginal figures. It is quite a substantial piece: the bowl is 45.5 cm in diameter and 17.7cm high. The panorama has been attributed to John Lewin, Australia's first professional artist. He was a favoured artist of Governor Macquarie. The original drawing by Lewin is now lost, but the engraving appeared in a publication in 1820. The reproduction of the panorama from a drawing or etching by Chinese ceramicists was common practice, so we're pretty sure that Lewin's artistry was the inspiration. The Mitchell Library's catalogue entry tells us that punchbowls made in China from the seventeenth century depicting European and American cities are well documented and highly regarded by ceramics collectors. But we only know of two punchbowls that show off Sydney: the one in the Mitchell Library and a companion punchbowl which is held in the Australian National Maritime Museum.  Chinese ceramics were really trendy in the mid-eighteenth century, along with Chinese silk fabrics and sandalwood. The trend for the Chinese style was known as 'chinoiserie', and it spread to architecture, furniture and designs for china, fabrics and clothing. The Sydney Punchbowl reminds us that the town of Sydney, from its very beginnings, was a maritime city and was a multi-national port and destination on Asian and Pacific trade routes. Today's politicians may celebrate the negotiation of a free trade agreement with China, but Sydney was trading with Canton and India since the 1790s. The Sydney punchbowl is a spectacular rarity that celebrates the newly established colony and our Chinese trade connections. So as you sip on punch this Christmas, remember the Sydney punchbowl, a treasure in our city's cultural collections. Lisa Murray You can read more about the Sydney Punchbowl on the Dictionary here and catch up on last week's podcast here. Don't forget to tune in to 2SER Breakfast every Wednesday at 8:20 am to hear more Sydney stories courtesy of the Dictionary.