Description
Many animals have a special significance in Japan. Take carp for example: they are associated with beauty, prosperity and perseverance. Often, this symbolism arose when the animal was associated with famous old fables.
The most well-known carp fable is of Chinese origin. It is said that somewhere in China stands a great waterfall with the ‘dragon’s gate’ at the top. Carp, naturally inclined to swim upstream, tried in vain to throw themselves up the waterfall, and were laughed at by the other fish. After many years, there was a carp who succeeded. As soon as it arrived at the top of the waterfall, it changed into the dragon as reward for its perseverance.
Kobayakawa Kiyoshi (1899-1948), the painter of this piece, is mostly known for his woodblock prints in modern style. He focused on the moga: modern young girls who were rejecting traditional norms in Japan during the Roaring Twenties. This sober painting of a carp on silk is an exceptional piece in his oeuvre.
