Diameter: 4 5/8 inches (11.8 cm)
Song Dynasty, late 11th - 12th century A.D.

Provenance:

JJ Lally & Co., New York

A bowl of conical form, moulded on the interior with four fishes swimming amidst stylized waves and with a shell-shaped motif in the center, and the exterior carved with straight lines, the glaze of translucent olive green color with good glossy texture. I often wonder if the four fishes and the shell would have any link with the Chinese five elements : Metal, Water, Wind, Fire, Earth. (See same pattern in the Percival David Foundation, by Medley in the illustrated Catalogue of Celadon Wares p. 53, no. 296-7, and col. pl 46, where the design is reproduced as a line drawing in the archaelogical report on the Yaozhou Kilns, Shannxi Tungquan Yaozhou Yao, p.33, fig 22, no 4j. Wirgin also illustrates the bowl from the David Collection in the Sung Ceramic Designs, pl.8j, and Bromberger Collection in the Honolulu Academy of Arts which was shown at the Los Angeles County Museum of Arts Loan Exhibition of Chinese Ceramic in 1952 and illustrated by Trubner in the Catalogue as no. 181).