“Carassius auratus is the formal scientific name of the common goldfish, now known and admired as a pet in almost every country of the world. There are no living ones at Fintry, but they can be seen painted here on the inside of a Chinese blue-and-white bowl in the Dining Room.
So much is 'made in China’ now, but one should not forget that the Chinese have been making things for a very long time. . the silk industry started around 2600 BC. There are references to goldfish and red coloured carp in Chinese sources as far back as 350 AD. In the tenth century, a Chinese monk wrote a short veterinary manual especially for those involved in raising and keeping goldfish. It is fairly certain that the ancestral variety of carp from which the goldfish is derived was a native of Southern China. From that area, the domestication of the fish spread throughout the country, and was very soon taken to Japan, where enthusiasts then expanded their interests and skills to include the Koi, another member of the carp family, but distinct from the goldfish.
The first goldfish to reach Europe may have been those brought to London in 1691. In 1728, Sir Mathew Dekker imported a large number, some of which he kept himself, but distributed others widely in England. Madame de Pompadour, mistress of Louis XV of France, brought the first goldfish to that country around 1750. (Interestingly, her surname was 'Poisson'!) Later in the eighteenth century they were introduced to North America. where some escaped and became naturalized in various lakes and rivers on the Eastern seaboard. Okanagan Lake is home to large numbers of the Eurasian carp, (Cyprinus carpio) which is a different species from the ancestor of the goldfish.
We do not know if the Dun-Waters had any goldfish at Fintry, but they would have been readily available if wanted, and doubtless, the Chinese house staff would have been ready with lots of good advice. In China, prized goldfish were kept in large outdoor ponds, carefully protected from bird predators such as herons. On festive occasions or if appreciative guests were expected, they would be brought indoors, in special porcelain tubs to be seen and admired. The porcelain bowl shown here is not the type used for this, it being far too small. The larger, deeper goldfish viewing tub was likely the container that features in Thomas Gray's 1742 "Ode on the Death of a Favourite Cat".”
Article originally published in the The Octagon, September 2024 Octagon from the Friends of Fintry
댓글