Lot 116 A Chinese blue, white and iron-red 'Fish among Aquatic Plants' bowl

A Chinese blue, white and iron-red 'Fish among Aquatic Plants' bowl

late Ming

未知

€ 8.000 – € 12.000

OH: H. 10 cm, Diam. 21,2 cm

未知

A finely potted deep bowl with a gently flared rim, decorated in underglaze cobalt blue and copper red. The exterior is painted with four fish—a mackerel, silver carp, carp and mandarin fish—swimming among aquatic plants above a band of rolling waves. The interior is centred with a carp leaping from the waves beneath drifting clouds and a copper-red moon. The recessed base bears a boldly written six-character Xuande mark within a double circle.
The Chinese names of the four fish—qing, lian, li and gui—form the rebus Qing Lian Li Gui (清廉禮貴), conveying auspicious wishes for integrity, propriety and noble status.
此碗胎體精細，器形深圓，口沿微撇，通體以釉下青花及釉裡紅繪飾。外壁繪鯖魚、鰱魚、鯉魚及鮭魚四尾游魚，穿梭於水草之間，下方環飾海水紋。碗心繪一尾鯉魚躍出波濤，上方祥雲縈繞，襯以釉裡紅月輪。底部內凹，青花雙圈內書 ‘大明宣德年製’ 六字款。
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。
Provenance:
Marc Michot, Bruges.
The Mr. and Mrs. Baert-Devos Collection, Belgium. Acquired from the above and accompanied by a copy of their original invoice. (see added scan)