Jade Fish with lotus, Song Dynasty, 6.2 cm long, 4 cm wide, 0.6 cm thick. The treasures of the Palace.
Jade white with ochre spots on the surface. Fish with small head, long body, no scale, fish bent into an arc, head, tail up, short and thick fins, a total of 6, on which there is a thin line. There is a lotus leaf beside the fish, and the long stem is bent and coiled to form a ring for lanyard.
After the Western Zhou Dynasty, the number of fish jade decreased sharply, and then recovered in the Tang Dynasty. In the Song Dynasty, the wind of fish was flourishing again, and more jade fish appeared, with different styles and types, or accompanied by lotus, or only a single fish, or no scales, or decorated with horizontal waterline, or decorated with grid patterns. This trend continued to the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Lotus and fish phase and contain the meaning of more than one year, is a kind of auspicious pattern.
In Chinese culture, fish are symbols of abundance, prosperity, and wealth due to their association with the Chinese pronunciation of fish (鱼, yú), which sounds like the word for surplus (余). The common phrase "年年有余" (nián nián yǒu yú), meaning "may there be surpluses every year," reflects the wish for more than what is needed every year, symbolizing hopes for wealth, success, and prosperity. Fish are also seen as symbols of fertility and regeneration for their ability to reproduce in large numbers. During Chinese New Year and other celebrations, serving fish is a traditional practice meant to invite the abundance and good fortune that the fish symbolize into one's home and life.
Made by Rui Xu