清十八世紀 白玉連年有魚擺件

boldly worked in the form of two conjoined carp fish with puckered lips grasping a long curling stem issuing budding lotus blossoms and pads nestling against their bodies, their bodies outlined by tall serrated dorsal fins and lobed serrated tails, all supported on a tempestuous waves, the translucent stone of an even green colour, wood stand

《Chinese Jades from Han to Qing》， S. Marchant & Son，倫敦，2005年，編號80

The fish is in overall good condition, with only minor nicks to the extremities, and a bruise to the fish's lips. Possible polishing to the edges of the petals. On the unillustrated side of the fish, there is an inherent vein running across the stone cleverly incorporated in the design. The actual colour of the stone is of a warmer celadon colour than the catalogue illustration.
"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."

Fashioned from a luminous white jade stone, this jade twin-fish group is notable for its impressive size. The carver has retained much of the original contours of the stone to create a vessel that shows great respect for the treasured material. Jade carvings of mandarin fish grasping lotus leaves and flowers are based on Song dynasty (960-1279) prototypes, such as a slightly smaller fish in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum. Jade, vol. 5, Tang, Song, Liao, Jin and Yuan Dynasties, Beijing, 2011, pl. 251.

A jade twin-fish group of similar large size, from the De An Tang collection, included in the exhibition A Romance with Jade, Palace Museum, Beijing, 2004, cat. no. 84, was sold in our New York rooms, 28th May 1991, lot 54; another, was included in the Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition Chinese Jade throughout the Ages, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1975, cat. no. 405. See also a smaller fish group, from the collection of B.S. McElney, included in the exhibition Chinese Jades from Han to Ch’ing, Asia Society, New York, 1980, cat. no. 90.

The fish is one of the earliest and most frequent subjects carved from jade, and acquired an important role in Chinese symbolism. In Daoism, fish represent freedom from retrains, while in Confucian thought they evoke the scholar succeeding in the imperial examinations. Because of its great reproductive power, the fish is also a symbol for marriage and many children, and the Chinese term for fish, yu, is homophonous with the word for abundance.  Depictions of two fish create the pun shuangyu jiqing (‘May you be blessed with connubial bliss, fecundity and abundance’).