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Subject:Re: Vase with Paintings and Seal
Posted By: Bill H Sun, Oct 18, 2020
The iron red marking on the bottom probably is an apocryphal Republic-period mark of 'Made during the Qianlong Reign of the Great Qing Dynasty' (Da Qing Qianlong nian zhi- 大清乾隆年製). The well-painted vase itself also looks to come from the Republic period, due to its apparently guttered foot, though the cause of dating it would be furthered in this case by information on its provenance; i.e., what is the source of the vase, and how long can you account for its existence.
The figures seen riding the carp with attendants holding banners are presumably legendary figures or immortals and deities associated with Chinese literature, as is the carp. The usual suspects are exemplified by Kuixing 奎星, a star in the big dipper, who is the God of Examinations and said to be an associate of Literature God Wen Chang (文昌). KuiXing is shown riding a carp below with the Big Dipper Constellation in the sky.
Another immortal scholar revered by examinees is Zhong Kui (鍾馗), who otherwise is the Queller of Demons. Yet another immortal often depicted riding a carp is Qin Gao (琴高), a painter of fish, who is held in especially high regard in Japan as the Sennin Kinko. A picture of him in bronze is shown below. See the embedded link below for additional related details from an earlier post.
If your vase can be proven to be of the Republic period by a more experienced authority, such as a major auction house, the vase could bring a tidy sum when sold.
Best regards,
Bill H.
URL Title :Dragon Carp Lore
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