Lot 68. A 'Longquan' celadon 'Twin Fish' small dish, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279). Diameter 4 7/8  in., 12.4 cm. Estimate 10,000 — 15,000 USD. Lot sold 23,750 USD. Photo Sotheby's.

the rounded sides rising from a recessed base to a broad flat rim, the interior applied with a pair of sprig-molded scaly fish swimming in opposite directions, the exterior carved with lotus petals radiating from the foot, covered overall in a bluish-green glaze. 

Note: Dishes of this popular 'twin-fish' design were made from the Southern Song period to the Yuan dynasty. Because fish are reputed to swim in pairs and are known for their reproductive power, the double fish can symbolize the joys of union and numerous offspring. 

See a dish of slightly larger size, but with the same design included in the exhibition, Heaven and Earth Seen Within. Song Ceramics from the Robert Barron Collection, New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans, 2000, cat. no. 60; and another from the Meiyintang Collection illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, London, vol. 1, 1994, no. 559.  

Sotheby's. Song Tradition: Early Ceramics from the Yang De Tang Collection. New York, 17 march 2015, 11:00 AM