Fish
Overview
The pun is the reason fish appear at New Year tables and in folk prints: a fish left over means a surplus carried into the next year. The reading is verbal before it is visual.
Meaning
Fish carry the general reading of abundance and of surplus — the word for fish is homophonous with the word for surplus.
Traditional Interpretation
Sources also pair fish with freedom of movement and with the water element, and the pairing of two fish is a conventional emblem of marital harmony.
Related Concepts
FAQ
What does fish symbolize in Chinese tradition?
Fish carry the general reading of abundance and of surplus — the word for fish is homophonous with the word for surplus. The pun is the reason fish appear at New Year tables and in folk prints: a fish left over means a surplus carried into the next year. The reading is verbal before it is visual.
Where does the fish appear in Chinese art and custom?
Its use is documented across several registers at once. Fish carry the general reading of abundance and of surplus — the word for fish is homophonous with the word for surplus. A fish served but not eaten at New Year is the specific customary form — the surplus is the point, and eating it would spend it.
How is fish read in Chinese tradition?
Sources also pair fish with freedom of movement and with the water element, and the pairing of two fish is a conventional emblem of marital harmony. It is grouped under Water (水) in the five-element system.
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