What is this fish???

[yelnif]

Hello bbcamay, It is a mythical depiction meant to represent some deity or revered god and most likely oriental in substance. Some likely choices include- "Namazu" from Japanese mythology; "Isonade" a mythical giant catfish that inhabited the waters off western Japan; or the ancient "Ika-Roa" said to be responsible for the formation of the milky way. Since we know of nothing that actually looks like it, we have no real name for it. You may find , with research, that your particular example may be a known creature of legend in-so far as the repeated use of the specific components which makeup your sea-monster. That head, that body, that tail, you understand. Neat piece.

HH yelnif

ps- welcome back- don't let the boy's rile you- kids will be kids.

oh I do look both ways for cars , and I do see pretty woman and go oh she's pretty --but I'm smart enough not to screw up a good thing -- a good loving loyal woman who actually wants her husband to be happy are few and far between -- even better she makes more money than I do so she's not with me just to "support' her.

Smart man- congratulations on the 'keeper'- to the both of you !!!. After 40 yrs. with mine I've decided that it would just be too hard to train a new one and since we're both happy- why bother.

HH yelnif

 

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[WVPapaw]

After the research I have done, I can promise, it is not a koi.

Hello BB,
I believe the fish in question is from or related to the carp family. They are the only fish I know that have large scales like that. It is definitely styled to resemble some kind of sea creature, however.

 

[WVPapaw]

THE FISH!

Here is a carp

View attachment 841759

 

[Mekong Mike]

You should ask Jeremy Wade from the show River Monsters on the Discovery Channel.

 

[WVPapaw]

Can anyone tell me the 'official' name of what fish this is on this stand I have been researching it for months but no clue.

i found something similar to your fish. I think these definitely resemble carp.

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

koi fish tattoo designs - Bing Images


stylized koi fish...I believe.


{notice I gave her no reason to kick me?}

 

[WVPapaw]

koi fish tattoo designs - Bing Images

stylized koi fish...I believe.

{notice I gave her no reason to kick me?}

I note that koi are in the carp family. Definitely have similarities. Koi have varying colors and fin shapes however.

 

[CoilyGirl]

Is that jadeite on the top? That is a nice piece.

 

[Peyton Manning]

I wouldn't talk to me too much. I lost a lot of friends around here lately. :/

you have lost no friends, some just aren't on much. you can trust me I'm a Doctor

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

I wouldn't talk to me too much. I lost a lot of friends around here lately. :/

well..you seem to have made a few replacements...and if you lost them..they were not friends at all.

 

[jjg70]

Very interesting piece. What's it used for?

 

[bill from lachine]

bbcamay,

Yeah I'd go with the koi/carp option also....the Asian cultures are also big on dragons...however the bodies would be more elongated.

Regards + HH

Bill

 

[bbcamay]

Very interesting piece. What's it used for?

Well the picture I posted would be used for a candy dish or something similar in my home now. Not sure what it was used for back when.
My husband is a Navy Submariner and these 'fish' are the submariner's insignia, only I can't find the 'official' name for them anywhere other than 'deep sea dolphins'.

 

[bbcamay]

**BUMP** just in case anyone out there knows.

 

[NHBandit]

Everytime a woman posts on here you guys act like you just got out of a 10 year prison stretch and haven't seen one in a long time. You should be ashamed of myself... ummm.. I mean yourselves.

 

[bgdjtil]

Looks like a rough Heraldic Dolphin, torqued, but it's hard to tell without a photo of the other side.

 

[bgdjtil]

Also, it doesn't look asian to me, the base and feet look English.

 

[Red-Coat]

I’m fairly new here and spotted this while moseying around. Sorry for the necro-post. The ‘fish’ is usually known as a “koi dragon fish” and derives from oriental folklore.

There are various versions of the legend, originating in both China and Japan but with essentially the same message. A school of koi were swimming upstream (the Chinese legend says it was the Yellow River) until their path was blocked by a waterfall (some sources call it the “Dragon Gate”). Most of the koi were forced back, but some attempted to leap up the fall. The guardians of the waterfall maliciously heightened it to thwart them. Only one fish made it to the top and was rewarded by the gods by being transformed into a golden dragon.

So the ‘fish’ is a mythical hybrid of koi and dragon, with the koi representing determination and strength of will; and the dragon representing strength and power.

What you have is usually called a “bon-bon dish” (for candy, although often used for other purposes). It’s late Victorian, probably from around the 1880s and was quite likely made in China or Hong Kong… but for export to the West.