More fancy fish! Rulers in Thailand, China, Korea, Japan, and Viet Nam have valued fancy fish and ponds for centuries, much as European monarchy have valued manicured garden and regal birds (like Her Majesty’s swans). They have long been bred and restricted to royalty, and common people keeping fancy fish has even had the death sentence decreed against it. The emperor of China in 1369, Hóngwǔ, established a porcelain company that produced large porcelain tubs for keeping fancy goldfish. Long before then (as far back as the Jin dynasty - ca. 265 AD), the royal family kept the fancy red and orange color mutations of Asian carp that were raised for food throughout the coastal areas of china.  Where the koi (ornamental common carp) were the favored fish in Japan and (at periods) Korea, other East Asian royalty tended much more towards the fancy goldfish, which were ornamental Asian carp. Histoire naturelle des dorades de la Chine. 1780.

More fancy fish!

Rulers in Thailand, China, Korea, Japan, and Viet Nam have valued fancy fish and ponds for centuries, much as European monarchy have valued manicured garden and regal birds (like Her Majesty’s swans). They have long been bred and restricted to royalty, and common people keeping fancy fish has even had the death sentence decreed against it.

The emperor of China in 1369, Hóngwǔ, established a porcelain company that produced large porcelain tubs for keeping fancy goldfish. Long before then (as far back as the Jin dynasty - ca. 265 AD), the royal family kept the fancy red and orange color mutations of Asian carp that were raised for food throughout the coastal areas of china. 

Where the koi (ornamental common carp) were the favored fish in Japan and (at periods) Korea, other East Asian royalty tended much more towards the fancy goldfish, which were ornamental Asian carp.

Histoire naturelle des dorades de la Chine. 1780.

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