A FINE PALE GREEN JADE 'FISH-DRAGON' VASE 18th century Meticulously carved in the form of a fish dragon, emerging upright from rocks and tempestuous waves, the toothed mouth forming the mouth of the vase and joined to a flaming pearl, with large ruyi-shaped fins, a smaller chilong clambering on its front, the stone of pale greenish-white tone with minor grey and opaque white inclusions, wood stand. 15.3cm (6in) high. (2). Footnotes: Please note this Lot is to be sold at No Reserve. 本拍品不設底價 十八世紀 青玉魚龍花插 The carp or liyu (鯉魚) transforming into a dragon long (龍) is associated with the passing of the Civil Service examinations, hence forming the pun li yue long men (鯉躍龍門). According to traditional folklore, carp swim upstream in the Yellow River at Hunan towards the Dragon Gate waterfall at Longmen. It is said that the first carp which successfully surpasses the rapids will transform into a fish-dragon yulong (魚龍). Such legend has led to the common saying that, 'a student facing his examinations is like a carp attempting to leap through the Dragon Gate', which bears the metaphor for a poor scholar who passes the Civil Service examinations and becomes a high official. For related examples of jade vases in the form of a carp, Qing dynasty, see one illustrated in Masterworks of Chinese Jade in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1970, no.25; and two examples illustrated in the Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade 8, Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, nos.167 and 168. See a similar pale green jade dragon-fish vase, Qianlong, which was sold at Christie's London, 6 November 2012, lot 152. Another related pale green jade double carp-dragon vase, Qianlong/Jiaqing, was sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 28 May 2019, lot 157. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com