This masterpiece of Chinese porcelain is an important example of early blue-and-white ware from the imperially sponsored kilns of Jingdezhen in Jiangxi province. Four fishāmackerel, whitefish, carp, and freshwater perchāare depicted swimming along the hip of the vessel; their Chinese names form a rebus for the phrase āhonest and incorruptibleā (qingbai lianjie). The visual wordplay suggests that the jar may have been made for an elite clientele who, it was hoped, would be inspired by the rebusās message of rectitude while drinking their wine. The twisting leaves and stems of the eelgrass, blossoming lotuses, and other flora elegantly frame the fish and evoke the teeming pulse of the ocean. The mineral cobalt for the rich blue color was imported from western Asian sources, and similar porcelains were often made for the Middle Eastern export market.
Wine Jar with Fish and Aquatic Plants. China, Yuan dynasty (1279ā1368), 14th century. Porcelain with underglaze cobalt-blue decoration. The William E. Hutchins Collection, Bequest of Augustus S. Hutchins, 52.87.1
