A BLUE AND WHITE 'CARP AND DRAGON' BOTTLE VASE QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

the globular body rising from a short foot with an unglazed base to a tall tubular neck, the exterior decorated in a painterly and lively manner with the legend of a carp transforming into a dragon, the lower section of the globular body rendered with a carp fish amidst turbulent crashing waters, the dynamic scene further decorated with a pagoda and a dragon ferociously swooping downwards with its sinuous scaly body encircling the neck

The Chinese Porcelain Company, New York.
A private American collection.

The Chinese Porcelain Company. A Dealer's Record, 1985-2000, New York, 2000.

Good overall condition, with just firing lines to the inner mouth and kiln grit to the base, all from the original firing process.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Elegantly potted with a long thin neck and attractive globular body, this vase is impressive for its dynamic design which was executed in a confident painterly manner, reminiscent of contemporaneous paintings and woodblock printed illustrations. In both its form and style of painting, this vase follows the style of the Kangxi reign, when this motif became particularly popular. A jar painted with a related motif in cartouches attributed to the Kangxi period, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum. Ceramics, vol. 21, Shunzhi and Kangxi Periods of Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2012, pl. 139; and a dish, with a Kangxi mark and of the period, in the Nanjing Museum, Nanjing, is published in The Official Kiln Porcelain of the Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, pl. 84. See also a pear-shaped vase painted with a carp disposing of a pagoda through its mouth, in the Museum of Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm, illustrated in Jan Wirgin, ‘K’ang-hsi Porcelain’, B.M.F.E.A., no. 45, 1974, pl. II.

This vase is painted with the popular story of the carp transforming into a dragon. According to legend, on the third month of the spring schools of carp would swim up the Yellow River to spawn. At a steep passage known as Dragon's Gate, the carp would have to leap up over the waterfall. Most of the fish would not succeed, but those that did transformed into dragons. The carp-dragon is symbolic of attaining success and is often found on objects bestowed to those studying for their civil service exams in hopes of passing.