Chinese Vertical Sign: "Fish"

A sign for fish, five feet tall, with the fish carved in.

Carvers in Shanxi Province, China, made this vertical elm wood sign for “Fish” in the mid 18th century. Hanging shop signs were commonly used in China to advertise a trade, with characters or a motif showing what was sold. A long narrow board is carved with a circular pattern at the top, a column of characters, and fine decorative detail down the face. At the bottom, two fish cross at the tail, carved in low relief and standing out from the board. The wood is a deep reddish brown.

About 61 inches tall and ten wide. Wall space for a very tall, very narrow idea.