Ding Ware Bowl with Molded Fish and Floral Pattern, Jin Dynasty, 1127 – 1279 A.D. © Zetterquist Galleries

Diameter: 17.2cm

A deep porcelaineous stoneware bowl with a translucent ivory colored glaze that pools to viscous drips on the exterior. The inside is crisply molded with a dense floral decoration contained within a key-fret just below the inside rim, which is unglazed. The very center has a molded depiction of two fish swimming in tandem amongst waves, a symbol of marital bliss. There is a slight warp to the rim, and a stabilized hairline crack emanating from the rim.

Similarly patterned pieces from the Victoria and Albert Museum and The Malcom Collection are illustrated in Jan Virgin’s “Sung Ceramic Designs”, second edition. Han Shan Tang, 1979 London. pl. 89a and 91a respectively.

Provenance: Private American Collection

Zetterquist Galleries (New York, NY), Chinese and Vietnamese Ceramics with Highlights from the Brow Collection, 10-18 march 2017 at 3 East 66th Street, #1B, New York 10065. T (212) 751 0650 - inquiries@zetterquist.com - zetterquist.com