Carp Ascending a Waterfall
Keisai Eisen (Japanese, 1790–1848)
early or mid-1830s
Medium
color woodblock print
Dimensions
72.4 × 24.2 cm
Classification
Department
Japanese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Bequest of James Parmelee
Accession Number
1940.1049
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
male
About this artwork
In Asian lore the carp is associated with good fortune and perseverance. Although the carp lives primarily in quiet waters, its symbolic meanings have led to a Japanese design convention of showing the fish arching upward, often mounting waterfalls, as in this print.