The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of August 11, 2026

A tall vertical woodblock print depicts a large carp swimming upward through falling water. Overlapping vertical bands of blue and white obscure the fish's dark, scaled body as it curves toward the lower right. A horizontal seam bisects the image. Japanese calligraphy and a red seal feature in the upper right corner against a tan background. Striated lines define the water, creating a sense of rushing downward movement.

Carp Ascending a Waterfall

early or mid-1830s

Keisai Eisen

(Japanese, 1790–1848)
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)
color woodblock print
Sheet: 72.4 x 24.2 cm (28 1/2 x 9 1/2 in.)
Bequest of James Parmelee 1940.1049
Location: Not on view

Description

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.
  • ?–1940
    James Parmelee [1855–1931], Washington, DC, bequest to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1940–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Hollis, Howard. "The Bequest of James Parmelee." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 28, no. 2 (February 1941): 15–27. Mentioned: p. 19 www.jstor.org
  • {{cite web|title=Carp Ascending a Waterfall|url=false|author=Keisai Eisen|year=early or mid-1830s|access-date=11 August 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1940.1049