Lot 157 A Chinese blue and white 'Fish' dish

A Chinese blue and white 'Fish' dish

Wanli mark and of the period

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€ 3.000 – € 6.000

O: H. 20 cm, W. 14,5 cm, Diam. 30 cm

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The dish is potted with a flared rim and shallow rounded sides supported on a foot rim. The centre is painted in underglaze cobalt blue with a lotus pond, its surface rendered with fine parallel lines. A mackerel, silver carp, carp and mandarin fish swim among blossoming lotus, leaves and aquatic plants, surrounded by a further border of fish, lotus and waterweeds. The reverse is sparsely decorated with fruiting peach branches and insects. The base bears the four-character Wanli Nian Zao (萬曆年造) mark.
The Chinese names of the four fish—qing, lian, li and gui—form the rebus Qing Lian Li Gui (清廉禮貴), conveying wishes for integrity, propriety and noble status. Their varied poses among flowering lotus and gently spreading aquatic plants create a lively, richly detailed composition. The word for lotus, lian (蓮), is also a homophone of lian (連), meaning continuous, while fish, yu (魚), is a homophone of yu (餘), meaning surplus. Together, they form the rebus Lian Nian You Yu (連年有餘), expressing wishes for abundance and prosperity year after year.
盤敞口，淺弧壁，下承圈足。盤心以青花繪蓮塘游魚圖，水面以細密平行線表現，鯖魚、鰱魚、鯉魚及鱖魚穿游於盛開的蓮花、荷葉及水草之間；外圍再環飾游魚、蓮花及水草，構成層次豐富的滿池景象。外壁疏繪折枝桃與飛蟲。底部書「萬曆年造」四字款。
盤心四種魚名分別借音 ‘清’、‘廉’、‘禮’、‘貴’，組成 ‘清廉禮貴’ 的吉祥寓意，寄託清正廉潔、崇禮顯貴之願。群魚悠游於蓮塘之中，姿態各異，與盛放的蓮花及舒展的水草相互映襯，畫面繁密而生動。‘蓮’ 與 ‘連’ 同音，‘魚’ 與 ‘餘’ 同音，魚蓮相配又寓意 ‘連年有餘’，寄託生活富足、年年豐裕的美好願望。
Provenance:
Marc Michot, Bruges.
The Mr. and Mrs. Baert-Devos Collection, Belgium. Acquired from the above in 1993 and accompanied by a copy of their certificate of authenticity. (see added scan)