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Source Description
The motif of carp in rough water originated in China. The expression “carp jumping over the Dragon Gate” (<em>liyu tiao longmen</em>) refers to attaining success in life, or, historically, to passing the imperial examinations for civil service. Dragon Gate is a steep gorge of the Yellow River at Hejing in Shanxi province, and it was once said that if a carp swimming upstream could surmount the gorge, it would instantly transform into a dragon and fly into the sky. In Japan, therefore, a gift cover (<em>fukusa</em>) like this would have been appropriate to celebrate the recipient’s achievements.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
95605
label
Gift Cover (Fukusa) with Carp in Waves
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
95605
contentType
object
title
Gift Cover (Fukusa) with Carp in Waves
description
The motif of carp in rough water originated in China. The expression “carp jumping over the Dragon Gate” (<em>liyu tiao longmen</em>) refers to attaining success in life, or, historically, to passing the imperial examinations for civil service. Dragon Gate is a steep gorge of the Yellow River at Hejing in Shanxi province, and it was once said that if a carp swimming upstream could surmount the gorge, it would instantly transform into a dragon and fly into the sky. In Japan, therefore, a gift cover (<em>fukusa</em>) like this would have been appropriate to celebrate the recipient’s achievements.
date
1868–1912
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79477422
genreSpecific
Embroidery
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 87.3 x 71.8 cm (34 3/8 x 28 1/4 in.)
cul
Japan, Meiji period (1868–1912)
accession
1916.1324
Source extras
tec
Silk: embroidered; metallic thread
tombstone
Gift Cover (Fukusa) with Carp in Waves (波鯉図刺繍袱紗), 1868–1912. Japan, Meiji period (1868–1912). Silk: embroidered; metallic thread; overall: 87.3 x 71.8 cm (34 3/8 x 28 1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Wade, 1916.1324
titleInOriginalLanguage
波鯉図刺繍袱紗
collection
Textiles
creditline
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Wade
updatedAt
2026-05-29 05:08:04.606000
sourceId
95605
dept
Textiles
coll
Textiles
med
Silk: embroidered; metallic thread
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
6ad094090f1966c8