China. Of oval shape with slightly flaring sides supported on a short yet distinct foot, the interior finely carved in high relief with a catfish, the algae in its mouth forming a stylized wan symbol. The exterior with two slightly raised bands incised with diagonal lines. The finely polished, translucent stone is of a grayish-cream tone with dark-brown veins and inclusions.

Provenance: The Ezekiel Collection, no. H/131 (old collector’s label to base). Purchased by Victor Ezekiel on 13 December 1963. A handwritten and typed note by Victor Ezekiel, stating the collection no. H/131 and the purchase date of 13 December 1963 and describing the piece as ‘A pale brownish green jade dish […] with a Catfish with food in its mouth, and stand. […] Probably Ming or earlier’, accompanies this lot. The Ezekiel Collection was formed by Marcus Ezekiel (1854-1927) and his son Victor (1905-1976), two leading figures in the formative years of Chinese art collecting in London in the first part of the 20th century, and important early members of the Oriental Ceramic Society. In 1975 Rose Kerr, then a young associate curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum, came to David Ezekiel, Victor’s son, to select loans for the prestigious Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition "Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages”. Seventeen pieces were selected, the present lot possibly among them, and David Ezekiel was able to take his ailing father, in a wheelchair, to see the exhibition.
Condition: Very good condition with minor old wear and nibbling to the rim as well as a microscopic bruise to one end of the algae sprig. With a fine, unctuous feel overall.

Weight: 65.4 g
Dimensions: Length 8.4 cm

The catfish (nian yu) provides a rebus suggesting ‘year after year’ while the word for fish in Chinese (yu) provides a homonym for ‘abundance’. Fish is traditionally eaten on Chinese New Year and during the festival there is a phrase called ‘nian nian you yu’, which translates as ‘every year you have abundance’.

Catfish (silurus) eat algae. When depicted in Chinese jade, they are sometimes mistaken for monkfish (lophius), a predator which does not eat algae.

Auction result comparison: Compare a related white jade washer with a catfish amid waves, dated 18^th-19^th century, at Sotheby’s London in Fine Chinese Ceramics And Works Of Art on 5 November 2014, lot 286, sold for GBP 12,500, and another with two fish and two boys, dated 18^th century, at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in Important Chinese Works Of Art on 7 April 2015, lot 3744, sold for HKD 125,000, and a related pale celadon jade bowl with two catfish, dated to the 19^th century, of larger size (13.4 cm wide), at Christie’s Hong Kong in Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on 1 June 2011, lot 3848, sold for HKD 1,340,000.

十七至十八世紀鮎魚紋玉筆洗
中國。橢圓形，口外敞，圈足極淺，筆洗内底部巧妙高浮雕鮎魚，魚嘴裡的叼的水藻成卍符號。筆洗外壁有兩條略微凸起的細帶，上面刻有對角線。玉料表面光滑，呈半透明狀，帶有深棕色的紋理和內沁。

來源：Ezekiel收藏，收藏編號H/131（見收藏標籤）。Victor Ezekiel於1963年12月13日購置。隨附一份收藏由Victor Ezekiel 購買時做的注釋的副本，他描述此拍品為“A pale brownish green jade dish […] with a Catfish with food in its mouth, and stand. […] Probably Ming or earlier “ （青綠色玉盤，鮎魚紋，明或更早）。Ezekiel收藏由Marcus Ezekiel (1854-1927) 和他的兒子 Victor (1905-1976) 創立，他們曾是20世紀上半葉倫敦的中國藝術收藏形成及穩定時期的兩位領軍人物，同時也是東方陶瓷學會早期重要成員。1975年，時任Victoria and Albert Museum美術館年輕副館長的Rose Kerr來找Victor的兒子David Ezekiel，為知名的東方陶瓷協會展覽 "中國歷代玉器 "挑選借展品。共有17件收藏品被選中，本拍品可能是其中之一，David Ezekiel還曾與患病且坐在輪椅上的父親去看展覽。
品相：狀況極好，有輕微的磨損，水藻的一端有輕微的損傷。 整體潤澤光滑。

重量：65.4 克
尺寸：長 8.4 厘米

拍賣結果比較：比較一件十八至十九世紀的鮎魚紋玉筆洗，見倫敦蘇富比Fine Chinese Ceramics And Works Of Art 2014年11月5 日 lot 286, 售價GBP 12,500；另一件十八世紀雙童雙魚紋筆洗，見香港蘇富比Important Chinese Works Of Art 2015年4月7日 lot 3744, 售價HKD 125,000；一件十九世紀青白玉雕雙魚碗，尺寸稍大 (寬13.4厘米), 見香港佳士得Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art 2011年6月1日 lot 3848, 售價HKD 1,340,000。