A guide to chinese porcelain fish bowls

Written 10 May , 2010

In ancient China, during the Jin Dynasty, people domesticated Asian carps and raised them as food fish for millennia. These silver or gray species of carp have over time mutated to yellow, orange and red colors.

Through a natural genetic process, a yellow orange variety of carp (later to be termed goldfish) was produced during the Tang Dynasty. People switched to breeding the beautiful gold mutation instead of the original silver variety and kept them in ponds and man-made fish enclosures. When guests are expected to arrive on special occasions, these golden carps would be transferred to smaller containers for the purpose of display. These small display containers were later to be known as the chinese porcelain fish bowls.

Later, in 1162, the Song Dynasty Empress ordered ponds to be built to breed the gold and red variety. At the same time, she also forbade anyone outside of the Imperial family to raise goldfish of the yellow or gold variety. This explains why there are more orange goldfish than yellow goldfish today.

This also explains how Chinese fish bowls came into existence. In today’s terms, these ancient fish bowls would be our modern-day aquariums.

Today, you will find a high volume of fish bowls made out vitreous porcelain being produced at high temperature in kilns located in mainland China’s Jiangxi province. These luxuriously hand-painted fish bowls are designed after the Ming Dynasty period and each bowl can be considered as a work of art.

Exquisitely painted by hand, the large porcelain fish bowl will make an eye-catching addition to a decor scheme of any room or office. It can be used as an indoor and outdoor planter or as a great room accent in both casual and formal interiors. The interiors are painted with remarkable colors and designs and, if you are lucky enough, you may even find a Koi fish painted inside. Some fish bowls can be a part of modern eclectic decor and makes an unforgettable gift idea.

As a room accent, fish bowls provide an air of oriental mystique and luxury to an otherwise dull area of a room. The traditional color design features deeply intense shades of black, lavender, gold and a mixture of earth tones.

As a functional display, it is made of hard vitreous china which can hold indoor trees and large plants. It can even be converted into a coffee or end table by adding a thick glass top.

Many companies import excellent quality and artistically hand lacquered chinese porcelain fish bowls and offer them at very competitive prices.