Why did ancient Chinese like to carve fish images on ceramics?

Fish means many children, so initially fish-shaped patterns generally represented the meaning of many children and grandchildren. Engraving this pattern reflected the ancients' desire for racial reproduction, and it appeared on the pottery used by people every day.

Later, the meaning of fish became more diverse. For example, the pattern of several swimming fish arranged in a row and connected end to end appeared on tomb bricks in the Han Dynasty, which was a symbol of protecting the tomb and exorcising evil spirits. There is also the so-called "more than every year" that we most often see.