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Lot Essay
The lively motif of the leaping carp in a lotus pond was one that appeared often on Ming dynasty porcelains from Jingdezhen. The carp which jump up the rapids in the upper course of the Yellow River to swim upstream are believed to turn into dragons at the Dragon Gate, and have long since been a symbol of the successful candidate at the extremely difficult official state examinations, becoming a scholar. The word for fish, yu, is also a homophone for 'abundance' and 'wealth', and thus was a very popular motif in the decorative arts for all its auspicious connotations.
The present jar combines this auspicious carp motif with further images that symbolise good things. The cartouches on the shoulders enclose flying cranes which are symbols of longevity. Such imagery proliferated in the Jiajing period as the emperor was a staunch Daoist and obsessed with the idea of attaining immortality. Many of these motifs continued into the Wanli period, and the present jar is one such example. The jar is also closely related to the large wucai 'fish' jars of the Jiajing period, although the present jar is more densely decorated with greater attention paid to the details on the secondary decorative bands and on the general composition of the main band.
The present jar combines this auspicious carp motif with further images that symbolise good things. The cartouches on the shoulders enclose flying cranes which are symbols of longevity. Such imagery proliferated in the Jiajing period as the emperor was a staunch Daoist and obsessed with the idea of attaining immortality. Many of these motifs continued into the Wanli period, and the present jar is one such example. The jar is also closely related to the large wucai 'fish' jars of the Jiajing period, although the present jar is more densely decorated with greater attention paid to the details on the secondary decorative bands and on the general composition of the main band.