Chinese Sign: "the Fish Jump Very High"

The fish jump very high. Somebody felt the street should know.

This sign, titled The Fish Jump Very High, comes from China and dates to the 19th century, made of elm wood. Inscribed boards like it hung over the entrances of halls, homes and businesses in China, announcing a name or a good wish to anyone arriving. A leaping fish has long been a Chinese image of advancement, often tied to success in the imperial examinations. Four raised characters in reddish lacquer stand out from a dark, uneven, glossy ground. 55 inches wide.

Optimism this direct is seldom put up in hardwood.