LÉVEILLÉ Ernest (1841-1913) - Lot 18

LÉVEILLÉ Ernest (1841-1913) ROUSSEAU François Eugène (1827-1890) "Carpe Koï remontant les flots". Rare smoked blown glass vase with relief decoration of a richly cold-glazed Koi carp in shades of black and gold, its mouth carmine red, its fins yellow with orange shading. The carp stands out against a background of waves and tormented waves reminiscent of Hokusai's Kanagawa wave, both in the blue and white tones and in the stylization of crests and foam. This vase is probably unique in this richly glazed version; the carp model is often known and listed in books, but in simple versions with variations in glass coloring and jasper effects. Height: 30 cm Symbolism of the Koi carp in Chinese and Japanese tradition: Legend has it that a shoal of carp swimming up the Yellow River, glittering with their colorful reflections, had to contend not only with the current, but also with numerous obstacles and predators ready to stop them. The bravest of them will reach the waterfall of the Dragon Gate, so powerful that it is said to strike like the arrows of a hundred warriors. Faced with these impassable waterfalls, most give up, only to try again the following year. Some try the impossible, jumping to the top of the falls or swimming with their flippers full, to beat the force of the water. But it's no use, and hearing the ruckus made by the poor, brave and desperate fish, some Onis (forest spirits) even come to mock them and make the waterfall even bigger... After more than a hundred years of attempts, ONE carp finally reaches the top. In recognition of this feat and the tenacity, perseverance and bravery of this beautiful coloured fish, the Gods decided to transform it into a golden-scaled dragon, a symbol of power and strength, which soared into the heavens. From that day on, every Koi carp that makes it up the waterfall is transformed into a majestic dragon! In Japan, where this majestic fish was first imported in the 5th century B.C., the carp - a fast, hardy fish able to swim up rivers and streams - came to represent strength and bravery, "Koïnobori", and was soon associated with masculine qualities. It became one of the symbols of the boys' festival, "Tango no Sekku", and can be found in the form of a windsock floating in the wind.