Bidspirit auction | Chinese Red Lacquered Goldfish Bucket

Chinese Red Lacquered Goldfish Bucket - 14X14.5 A Chinese wooden bucket or pail with a fixed, arched overhead handle. The exterior is finished with a reddish-brown lacquer or stain. The body is bound with two thin wire hoops. The side of the bucket is decorated with black ink illustrations of two goldfish swimming among aquatic plants and grasses. On the reverse side, four black-painted simplified Chinese characters are arranged in two columns. The characters translate to ”striving hard for prosperity” or ”to work hard for the country's prosperity.” The use of simplified characters, specifically ? and ?, identifies this item as a product of the mid-to-late 20th century People's Republic of China era. The construction features traditional staving, and the base is inset.