A legendary animal, the dragon-fish was said to be an auspicious symbol for first place in the government examinations of traditional China and was thus associated with officialdom. The dragon-fish is a recurring subject in Chinese art through the ages, and it occurs often as a motif on silver and gold objects of the T'ang dynasty (618-907). By the Liao and Chin dynasties, it became a common motif in art. A jade dragon-fish, similar to this work, was also excavated from a Liao dynasty tomb. This winged dragonhead fish is similar to the representation of a "makara" (or capricorn) in a Liao dynasty wall painting.

    Many stories concerning the origin of the dragon-fish exist. Some indicate it was a mandarin fish, a carp, or even a mythical capricorn that changed into the dragon-fish. The name of the capricorn derives from the Chinese term for "mo-chieh," which is a Chinese transliteration of the Sanskrit word for "Wise fish." In the Northern Wei (386-534), a story indicates that this animal served as a transport for the Buddha. Thus, it is also believed by some that the dragon-fish originated with the capricorn. The dragon-fish thus represents one of the vestiges of the early Chinese veneration for spiritual animals.