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Leaping Carp

ca. 1644–1753
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
A leaping carp, the dominant image of this print, symbolizes a man’s glorious entrance to officialdom by passing the highest level of the civil service examinations. Many prints of this size and quality were produced in Suzhou. Showing no signs of having been made from joined blocks, this work presumably was created using different sheet-sized woodblocks for the black outlines and the areas of color.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Li he yan
  • Title: Leaping Carp
  • Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
  • Date: ca. 1644–1753
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
  • Dimensions: Image: 23 1/2 x 11 5/16 in. (59.7 x 28.8 cm)
    Overall: 26 15/16 x 20 in. (68.4 x 50.8 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: On loan from the British Museum
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art