Plaque with winged carp-dragon

13th-14th century

The Chinese civil service examinations were very difficult to pass—those who did gained an official position in government and prestige for generations. An ordinary carp leaping over Dragon Gate to transform into a fantastic dragon was a popular motif symbolizing success in getting through the hellish process.

Nephrite

2 5/8 x 3 3/8 x 1/2 in. (6.67 x 8.57 x 1.27 cm)

Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection

33.1274

Now on view at the Asian Art Museum

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Live Long and Prosper: Auspicious Motifs in East Asian Art, May 23, 2009 - Feb. 21, 2010.

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Boundless: Stories of Asian Art, Feb. 8, 2020 - ongoing.

Seattle Art Museum respectfully acknowledges that we are on Indigenous land, the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people. We honor our ongoing connection to these communities past, present, and future.

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