Emblème bouddhiste du "double poisson" en porcelaine bleu blanc Chine, dynastie Ming, XVE siècle, époque Xuande

les deux carpes finement modelées enlacées et frétillantes, surgissant de flots tumultueux au dessus d'une base lotiforme, le bleu sous couverte rehaussant les reliefs en s'oxydant vers le noir par endroits, marque d'inventaire L.T.T. 3923 à la base

Good condition overall. A chip to the mouth of the fish to the left (showing on the illustration in the catalogue) and a flake to his dorsal fin on the reverse. The tip-end of a few of the lotus leaves around the base is worn or chipped (part showing on the illustration). There is some fritting to the edges of the base and gaps in the glaze. The actual colour is less purple, more bluish, the background also with a tinge of blue, than the illustration would suggest.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Porcelain Buddhist altar emblems are well known from the Qing dynasty; however these are extremely rare from any earlier period. No comparable piece appears to have been recorded, although many different types of potted blue and white animals exist in various forms. For example, compare a mandarin duck-shaped water-dropper in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the Special Exhibition of Selected Hsuan-te Imperial Porcelains of the Ming Dynasty, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1998, cat. no. 4. The handling of the underglaze blue used to depict the layered feathers of its wings is very similar to the way in which the scales of the fish on this emblem have been executed. Compare also the similarities between the lotus pedestal of this emblem with an early-Ming lotus leaf cover which accompanies a blue and white jar from the Sir Percival David Collection, now in the British Museum, London, published in Oriental Ceramics: The World's Great Collections, vol. 6, London, 1982, pl. 101.

Sets of eight Buddhist altar emblems, including the twin fish, are known in various materials from the Qing dynasty; for example see a porcelain and a bronze set in situ in imperial palace buildings, illustrated in Cultural Relics of Tibetan Buddhism Collection in the Qing Palace, Beijing, 1992, pls. 99-1 and 103.

Another blue and white "conch" Buddhist emblem was presented in our Hong Kong rooms, 9th October 2007, lot 1554; both emblems seems to have been made for the same set.