Fishes in a Stream

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Maker(s)
Artist: Formerly attributed to Dong Yu (active mid-late 10th century)
Historical period(s)
Qing dynasty, 17th-18th century
Medium
Ink and color on silk
Dimensions
H x W (image): 32 x 372.2 cm (12 5/8 x 146 9/16 in)
Geography
China
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1911.206
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Painting
Type

Handscroll

Keywords
China, fish, Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911), river, water
Provenance

To 1911
Cheng Kuan, China, to 1911 [1]

From 1911 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Cheng Kuan, in China, in 1911 [2]

From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

Notes:

[1] See Original Kakemono and Makimono List, L. 748, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. This object exhibits seals, colophons, or inscriptions that could provide additional information regarding the object’s history; see Curatorial Remarks in the object record for further details.

[2] See note 1.

[3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Cheng Kuan (C.L. Freer source)
Charles Lang Freer 1854-1919

Label

Fish were once central to the Chinese economy as food and commercial products, and many paintings testify to their importance in Chinese life. Because fish (yu) is homophonous with the word for abundance (also yu), it is also a common symbol for wealth and prosperity. The free-floating fish in this handscroll have a forced realism and a restrained quality.

Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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