Parody of a Chinese Immortal

This woodblock print, made by Suzuki Harunobu, depicts a woman riding a large carp. The carp, or koi, is a potent symbol of perseverance and transformation in East Asian cultures; legend tells of koi swimming upstream to become dragons. Here, the woman perches atop this symbol of ambition, absorbed in reading a scroll. One is reminded of depictions of immortals and deities in similar poses, traversing water on mythical creatures. Consider Europa riding the bull—an image laden with the weight of abduction, of cultural exchange, and of the founding of a continent. But here, Harunobu gives us a parody. The woman, likely a courtesan, playfully adopts the iconography of power and transcendence. This act of cultural cross-dressing allows us to reflect on the emotional power of symbols and how they can be reimagined across time. The act of borrowing imagery and reusing it in new and unexpected contexts highlights the cyclical nature of symbols.