Chinese Famille Noire porcelain fish bowl, (1796-1820). Magnificent fish bowl, on a matching black wooden stand, with a lot of hand-painted decorations. Mark: Da Qing Jiaqing Nian Zhi - "Great Qing Jiaqing period (1796-1820) made. The Jiaqing Emperor (Chia-ching Emperor; Chinese: ; pinyin: Jiqìng Dì; 13 November 1760 2 September 1820) was the seventh emperor of the Manchu-led Qing dynasty, and the fifth Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1796 to 1820.rnHe was the son of the Qianlong Emperor. During his reign, he prosecuted Heshen () (the corrupt favourite of Qianlong) and attempted to restore the state and curb the smuggling of opium inside China. Composition outside: First composition shows 11 elevated lotus flowers with blooms and multicolored leaves on the light-blue background. There are two white herons, one flying, another standing between lotus leaves. Heron in Chinese sounds a lot like the word for "path or way." A painting of a heron and a lotus has the meaning of "May your path be always upward."Second composition: One heron is flying above blooming bush with three blooming peonies. The beautiful colorations and different hues of green color on the leaves make this composition unique and show the hand of the master. Symbolism of Peonies - Queen of Flowers, the peony is an emblem of wealth and distinction. Black background between two compositions: elevated design shows multicolored lotus flowers in a cloud design. Thanks to the Buddhist influence, the lotus (or sea-rose) is of unique importance in Chinese folklore and symbolism. It is the symbol of purity. The lotus comes out of the mire but is not itself soiled. It is inwardly empty, yet outwardly - upright. It has no branches, but yet smells sweet. The words for lotus in Chinese have the same meanings as: to bind, connect (in marriage), one after the other, uninterrupted, to love, and modesty. It is one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism. Clouds symbolize good fortune and happiness, especially when they have more than one color.rnPainting inside: depicts 6 golden fish in a 4 symmetrical design of big blooming lotuses and their leaves. The two gold fish are usually shown head to head and represent fertility as fish produce many offspring. They are one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism. The Chinese words for goldfish are identical with the two words meaning "Gold and Abundance" therefore many Chinese keep goldfish at their homes or in ponds in temple gardens.rnFish in Chinese sounds like the word for "Abundance and Affluence" so the fish symbolizes wealth. Fish shown with a lotus blossom symbolize "Year after Year may you live in Affluence". Dimensions: Upper Diameter opening: 16.25 inches = 40.6 cm. Lower base diameter: 10.5 inches = 26.25 cm. Height: 13 inches = 32.5 cm rnHeight of the bowl on the stand: 22.7 inches = 56.75 cm. Weight: 30 lb. = 13.5kg. Authenticity report: There are a lot of details, which support the age of Jiaqing Emperor (1796-1820) 1) A red stamp says that this vase was produced during the rule of Jiaqing Emperor. 2) The numerous thin lines on the base/bottom were made long time ago, during polishing of the surface to make it more even and smooth. Jiaqing mark stamp was applied above/upon them. So cleaning and stamping were made at the end of the process of creating of the bowl. 3) Light colors (white, pink, yellow) have a lot of natural crackles. 4) The rim on the bottom was originally painted with black color and by now it is almost worn away; 5)Sienna paint on the upper and lower rims is slightly worn by numerous handling. 6) overall a strong eminance of antiquity. Provenance: Originally the fish bowl was a part the collection (1950-1970) of old antique dealer in New York, who passed away about 40 years ago. Approximately 35 years ago the whole collection was brought to Florida by his successor, where Eternity Gallery purchased the bowl. The fish bowl still has an old sticker with a price $1,150 (in 1960). Because of inflation since 1960 the cost of this bowl today would be about $9,000 today. References: 1)Masterpieces from the collection of the Shanghai Museum. Exhibition Sovereign Splendour in Gemeentemuseum The Hague. http://www.flickr.com/photos/54576605@N00/5703078546/;
Condition: Perfect for the age 200 years. NO cracks, no other defects;
Low Estimate: 5000;
High Estimate: 20000;