Boldly potted with a gently flared rim, short neck, rounded shoulders and a full, expansive body rising from a wide, unglazed foot, this jar exemplifies the monumental strength and painterly vitality of Yuan blue-and-white ceramics. The exterior is decorated in finely shaded cobalt blue with a lively aquatic scene of perches, carp, and catfish swimming amid rolling waves and curling sprays of sea grass. The undulating lines of the water contrast with the solid, rhythmic bodies of the fish, creating a vivid sense of motion.
The decoration is executed in imported sumaliqing cobalt, firing to a brilliant sapphire tone with areas of soft haloing and occasional iron-rust speckles. The body, made from a two-component mixture of porcelain stone and kaolin, is dense yet resilient, allowing the large form to retain its structure during high-temperature firing. Wheel-thrown in multiple sections and joined seamlessly, the jar shows subtle traces of turning lines and sand adhesion at the base.
Dynamic in composition and exquisite in execution, this fish among waves jar stands as a hallmark of late Yuan ceramic art—an embodiment of technical innovation, cross-cultural exchange, and the expressive naturalism that established Jingdezhen’s preeminence as China’s “capital of ceramics.”
