Porcelain from the Qing dynasty (Kangxi period)
The city of Jingdezhen in Jiangxi province is well-known for its production of ceramics and it has been dubbed the “porcelain capital”. This colorful porcelain dish is a fine example of the beauty of Jingdezhen ware.
The dish dates from the Kangxi period (1662-1722) in the Qing dynasty. It has a diameter of 20.5 centimeters and is painted, inside and out, in underglaze blue and overglaze colored enamels of the wucai palette. The inside design depicts a pair of fish in a lotus pond and surrounding them is a group of five fish among water plants. The exterior is similarly designed. On the base is also a four-character inscription in underglaze blue that translates to “appreciating happiness in the water”.
In Chinese culture, fish are regarded as a rebus for abundance as both Chinese words, fish 鱼 and abundance 余, are pronounced “yú”. As the first month of the Year of the Ox is coming to an end, the China Cultural Center in Brussels and the Shanghai Antique & Curio Communication Center wish you abundance in the rest of 2021 with this visual pun!
- A wucai plate from Jingdezhen (Jiangxi province) decorated with fish and water plants – Kangxi period (1662-1722), Qing dynasty
- Porcelain (Jingdezhen ware)
- Diameter: 20.5 cm
- Shanghai Antique & Curio Communication Center