formerly gilded, probably 18th c.,

fish: 50 x 22 x 18 cm,   bassin: 41 x 31 x 9 cm

The Old Summer Palace is an area of three gardens in Beijing, which was built since 1709. The complex with its numerous buildings was the most important imperial residence of the Qing dynasty from about 1725. The style of the buildings and the gardens was partly based on French and Italian models. In 1860, the palace was destroyed and plundered by English troops. The water dispenser and the shell-shaped basin, which stylistically corresponded to the fountains in the gardens, were probably later stolen by local peasants. The gold plating was rubbed off to obscure the origin.