1015 A blue-and-white dish with fish and a crab

Item No.: 1015

Name: A blue-and-white dish with fish and a crab
Period: Qing dynasty, eighteenth century
Diameter: 19.5 cm

The decoration depicts four kinds of fish—qing, bai, nian, and gui—whose Chinese names are used here as a wordplay evoking purity and integrity. A crab at the center suggests harmony through another play on words. The Chinese commentary interprets the design as expressing the hope that honest, public-spirited officials will bring harmony and well-being to the country.