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Lot Essay
According to Chinese legend, the yellow river carp travelled upstream to overcome the rapids of the Long-Men (Dragon Gate), where they were magically transformed into glorious dragons. This metaphor relates to the dedication and determination required by students to succeed in passing exams. They were initially presented to recent graduates, and came to symbolize literary success in general.
The combination of powder blue ground and iron-red decorated carp appears to be conceived during the Kangxi period and appears to be produced both for domestic and export markets. For related vases but with gilt decoration, see the example previously in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and sold at Christie's New York, 29 March 2006, lot 444, and another vase sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 31 May 2017, lot 3223. A related dish with similar decorative motif was previously in the Morgan Collection and sold in Collected in America: Chinese Ceramics from the Met Museum, Christie's New York, 15 September 2016, lot 910.
The combination of powder blue ground and iron-red decorated carp appears to be conceived during the Kangxi period and appears to be produced both for domestic and export markets. For related vases but with gilt decoration, see the example previously in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and sold at Christie's New York, 29 March 2006, lot 444, and another vase sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 31 May 2017, lot 3223. A related dish with similar decorative motif was previously in the Morgan Collection and sold in Collected in America: Chinese Ceramics from the Met Museum, Christie's New York, 15 September 2016, lot 910.