Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 137, The Curtain Foundation Gallery

Fish

Dish
1984 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Dish, once-fired in a coal-burning tunnel kiln, for 32 hours, at temperatures reading 1200-1300 degree Celsius. Design of a fish skeleton and three smaller fish carved into the biscuit-fired body, then a base layer of black glaze, then cobalt blue sprinkled onto the thickest area and allowed to run. Different densities of glaze give brown, blue and white effects.

The maker's intentions behind creating the piece were to achieve a certain archaic flavour while using contemporary ceramic technological skills, to forge together in the fire an impression of water and an impression of skeletal fossils, and thereby to create an exciting temporal dimension at once eternal and fresh.

Box: Notes by maker in register.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleFish (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Stoneware with coloured glazes
Brief description
'Fish' dish, stoneware with coloured glazes, made by Qu Leilei, China (Zibo, Shangdong province), 1984
Physical description
Dish, once-fired in a coal-burning tunnel kiln, for 32 hours, at temperatures reading 1200-1300 degree Celsius. Design of a fish skeleton and three smaller fish carved into the biscuit-fired body, then a base layer of black glaze, then cobalt blue sprinkled onto the thickest area and allowed to run. Different densities of glaze give brown, blue and white effects.

The maker's intentions behind creating the piece were to achieve a certain archaic flavour while using contemporary ceramic technological skills, to forge together in the fire an impression of water and an impression of skeletal fossils, and thereby to create an exciting temporal dimension at once eternal and fresh.

Box: Notes by maker in register.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 25.8cm
Object history
Bought from the maker in London
Subject depicted
Bibliographic references
  • Notes by maker in register
  • 'Daily Telegraph' 25.1.1986. 'Ham & High' 28.11.1986, 'Siyu' Jan-Feb 1987
Collection
Accession number
FE.24-1987

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdFebruary 12, 2000
Record URL
Download as: JSON