Lot 88. A punch'ong bottle, Joseon Dynasty (15th - 16th century), 9 ¼ in. (23.5 cm.) wide. Estimate USD 10,000 - USD 15,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

Modeled in the form of a rice-bale, with a short flaring mouth rim, the rounded sides decorated with thick white slip, underglaze-iron and incised lines with large fish, the grayish stoneware applied with a glossy clear glaze, one side with a ring foot rim. With wood box.

Note: The body is painted freely in iron-oxide with two humorous fish swimming. Because fish produce a large number of eggs, they symbolized prosperous descendants, and this subject were frequently drawn as a representative design on ceramics from the Joseon Dynasty.

Christie's. An Inquiring Mind: American Collecting of Japanese & Korean Art, 25 April 2017, New York, Rockefeller Center