Fish

Fish is one of the favourite motifs of potters on Chinese ceramics. It became an auspicious symbol as in Chinese the word for fish is yu (Ó㣩which also sound like abundance£¨Óࣩ. It is commonly found on Chinese ceramics such as the twin fish on Song/Yuan Longquan celadon, curved/impressed motif on Ding ware and fish among waterweeds in blue and whites, and etc.

Another interesting design is the fish to dragon transformation.  According to legend, every year  the carps swim up the Yellow river against strong current  to the famous falls of Lung-men (the dragon gate).  Those which succeed in leaping up the treacherous falls are transformed into dragons.  It is synonymous of literary success of  students who had to clear 3 levels of examination before they could be appointed to official government posts .

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During the Ming Xuande period, using homophone  four types of fishes were used to convey the importance of purity and uncorrupted, qing bai lian jie (Çå°×Á®½à£©. They Mackerel (qingyu öëÓã), whitefish (boyu¡¡õNÓ㣩£¬silver carp (öãÓã)or catfish£¨nianyu öTÓ㣩and Chinese perch (÷¬Óã). 

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