Limited Masterworks Vase Koi

There is no other fish we Europeans associate more readily with the culture of the Far East than the koi. These domesticated carp are generally known as nikishigoi ("brocade carp") in Japan, and their brilliantly luminescent, multi-coloured scales bear a remarkable resemblance to a lady's stunning dress. Koi have been kept as ornamental fish since around the mid-19th century in Asia, and tradition
has it that they bestow happiness, independence, freedom and powers of endurance upon their owners.

It was on one of Meissen porcelain painter Horst Bretschneider's numerous trips to Asia that he was inspired to produce this pattern upon witnessing the koi's graceful movements and the propensity of its unique covering of scales to yield a never-ending array of textures and colour combinations. Dedicated inglaze paints such as the bold red used here are only resorted to for wall paintings and ably recreate the natural chromatic intensity of these sumptuous creatures.

Playing no small part in transforming this vase into a contemporary gem of Meissen porcelain painting is the adroit manner in which the fish have been placed before a gleamingly gilded ground that - very much like the sun - appears to attract the fish to the surface of the water.