A LARGE, RARE AND INPORTANT BLUE AND WHITE PORCELAIN 'FISH SWIMMING IN LOTUS POND' JAR

A LARGE AND RARE BLUE AND WHITE PORCELAIN GUAN JAR

YUAN DYNASTY ( 1271-1368 ), 14TH CENTURY

JINGDEZHEN WARE

H 28.2 CM

D 33.7 CM

DESCRIPTION：

This unique jar is a masterpiece of Yuan dynasty blue and white porcelain and is one of a very small group of jars (guan) decorated with powerfully painted, wrap-around natural, abundant scenes.

The form of this large jar began to appear in the Yuan dynasty, and they have been decorated using various media, including qingbai glaze, celadon glaze, or underglaze copper-red paint.

This is undoubtedly one of the masterworks of the Yuan blue-and-white porcelain in terms of the outstanding workmanship in every element, including the form, decoration, and the color of the cobalt blue.

The center of the body bears a decoration of several types of fish swimming spontaneously in the lotus pond.

The Chinese word for fish is YU(魚), which is homonymous with the word for "abundance," making the fish an auspicious motif symbolizing abundance of wealth. It is also a symbol of prosperity of posterity as fish lay many eggs.

A combined design of fish and water plants is a common motif found in Yuan ceramics.