Pale celadon jade carving of a carp

18th century

Length: 23 cm | 9 in Height of fish: 12.5 cm | 4 15/16 in Height on stand: 17.5 cm | 6 7/8 in

Carved from a substantial flattish stone of even celadon colour with milky white inclusions – the carp swims through a lotus pond, above crashing waves and amongst lotus flowers and leaves that rise and cling to its body. The fish displays a prominent dorsal fin and fanlike tail, with bunched lotus stems trailing from its upturned mouth.

An original shaped zitan wood stand, with openwork carving, supports the carp. Its top section is carved with waves and lotus plants that echo the decoration on the jade; the lower section is carved with an openwork abstract design, inlaid in silver wire.

The fish and lotus motif was popular in the Yuan period (although it also appears in earlier times) – and made a resurgence in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Fish are symbols of fertility and abundance (owing to the large numbers of eggs that they produce, and the size of their schools); this symbolism is further reinforced by the homophone ‘yu’ – meaning both fish and surplus.

Similar Examples

The Youngman Collection: Chinese Jades, from Neolithic to Qing, by Robert P. Youngman, Art Media Resources, Inc., Chicago, 2008 – front cover and no.136.

A jade fish in the Collection of the Avery Brundage Museum, San Francisco, California.