Vintage Sculptural Fish Ceramic Floor Vase

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Description

This large-scale sculptural vase takes the dramatic form of an upturned fish, its open mouth serving as the functional vessel … Read more This large-scale sculptural vase takes the dramatic form of an upturned fish, its open mouth serving as the functional vessel opening while the rest of the body unfolds into an exuberant display of fins and scaled texture. The fish's face is rendered with expressive detail, a rounded snout, small raised eye, and gently parted lips forming the vase's rim, giving the piece an almost animated, charming personality despite its substantial scale. Deeply carved scale patterns cover the body in overlapping rows, each individually defined and catching the glossy green glaze differently depending on light and angle, creating rich surface texture across the fish's rounded form. Two dramatically arched dorsal and pectoral fins fan outward and upward on either side, their ridged, vein-like detailing rendered in the same lustrous glaze, while a broad, paddle-shaped tail curves forward at the base, doubling as a stable structural foot for the piece to rest upon. The glaze itself is a rich, deep forest green throughout, with subtle tonal variation shifting toward warmer olive and amber tones in the recessed and lower areas, suggesting a reactive glaze application that pooled differently across the sculptural surface during firing. Minor surface wear and small glaze imperfections are visible, consistent with genuine age, though the piece remains fully intact with no chips or cracks compromising its structure.

Measuring 13¾ inches wide, 16¼ inches deep, and 15¾ inches high, this substantial floor vase makes a dramatic, whimsical focal point in an entryway, sunroom, or large open living space, whether left empty to showcase its sculptural form or filled with tall branches or dried florals. Its bold figural styling suits Mid-Century Modern, Coastal, Chinoiserie, and Maximalist Eclectic interiors, particularly spaces that welcome playful, statement-making decorative objects. Dust regularly with a soft, dry cloth, and avoid abrasive cleaners that could dull the glossy glaze; given its weight and scale, position on a stable, level surface. The vase presents in very good condition, structurally sound with no visible chips or cracks, showing only minor surface wear and small glaze imperfections typical of age. A rare, large-scale sculptural piece for collectors of figural mid-century ceramics. See less