A LARGE BLUE AND WHITE FISH BOWL, YU GANG JIAJING MARK AND PERIOD

the deep circular bowl with flat lip and broad lipped rim, vibrantly painted around the exterior with three carp and a mandarin fish swimming amidst lotus, fern and other aquatic plants, all between double lines, the mark written in a horizontal line at the rim

A large body crack encircling the base, with over-painting visible to inside and exterior of fish bowl. Extensive areas of restoration to the rim visible, concealing what appear to be several body cracks and rim chips. One running horizontally below the rim, running almost entirely along the circumference of the bowl, cutting across characters of the mark. Two vertical rim cracks visible, the first visible measuring 8cm, but traces of over-painting visible directly beneath; the other measuring approximately 31.5cm and appears to join with the crack to the base, suggesting that perhaps this entire area has been out and re-stuck. Otherwise, with fritting to rim, with some significant surface wear and scratching. A star crack with associated loss to the centre to the upper right of the fish directly below the 'Jing' character. Faint glaze cracks elsewhere. Minor firing imperfections and burst air bubbles.
"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."

It is extremely rare to find Jiajing fishbowls decorated with a scene of swimming carp; for a fishbowl of this form painted with dragons in cobalt, see one in the J. Love collection, illustrated in R.L Hobson, The Wares of the Ming Dynasty, London, 1962, pl. 26; another depicting a scene of ducks swimming amongst lotus, from the collection of His Majesty King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden, included in the exhibition Ming Blue-and-White, Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm, 1964, cat. no. 59.

The design of carp in a lotus pond has its roots in the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) and was particularly favoured for its Daoist associations by the Jiajing emperor who was a fervent follower. Synonymous with the character for 'excess', fish (yu) are an emblem of wealth and abundance and in Daoist practice dates back to the foremost Daoist philosopher, Zhuangzhi, of the 4^th century BC. The book Zhangzhi reports a discussion of the free-thinking Daoist with Huizi, a methodological Confucian, where Huizi attacks Zhangzhi's observation that the fish enjoy the freedom of moving around the water as they please. A range of Jiajing vessels decorated with related fish scenes are known; for example see a blue and white stemcup in the British Museum, London, published in Jessica Harrison-Hall, Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, London, 2001, pl. 9:5; and a wucai jar and cover, with a reign mark and of the period, in the Shanghai Museum, included in Zhongguo meishu quanji, vol. 3, Shanghai, 1988, pl. 121. For a Yuan original of the design, see a guan illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red (I), Shanghai, 2000, pl. 5.

For further Jiajing mark and period fishbowls of this form, but painted with various scenes in cobalt, see a dragon-decorated example from the J. Love collection, illustrated in R.L. Hobson, The Wares of the Ming Dynasty, London, 1962, pl. 26, fig. 2; and another painted with ducks amongst lotus, from the collection of His Majesty King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden, was included in the exhibition Ming Blue-and-White from Swedish Collections, Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm, 1964, cat. no. 59.