Leaping Carp
1506
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1506
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see two carp twisting mid-air above a few ripples of water. The carp are meant to bring good luck—Chinese myth says if a carp jumps the dragon gate, it turns into a dragon. The artist worked for the emperor, so he had to make every scale and fin look real. The ink is so thin in places it almost disappears. Look up *china, ming dynasty (1368–1644)* to see more paintings of fish that double as wishes.
