Photo Credit: Isozaki Yoshitsugu (Bia), Japanese, 1884-1949, Vase with Flying Fish Design, ca. 1930s, Silver with gilding, 12 x 8 2/5 in (30.5 x 21.4 cm), Private Collection.

Reaching speeds of thirty-five miles per hour and able to propel itself meters over the water, the flying fish seems to defy the laws of nature. Seen only occasionally in Japanese visual culture of earlier eras, images of flying fish began to proliferate in decorative arts during the 1930s and 40s, where they suggested agility, power, and new possibilities. This period saw rapid advances in technology and infrastructure, the rise of commercial and military aviation, and the escalation of Japan’s imperial encroachment in East Asia and the Pacific. This fall, a group of modernist lacquerware, glass, and metalwork objects, textiles, and works on paper and silk that feature this motif will enchant visitors to The Ringling. Catch of the Day: Flying Fish from Modern Japan will be on view November 23, 2024, to April 6, 2025, in the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Foundation Gallery.

Photo Credit: Isozaki Yoshitsugu (Bia), Japanese, 1884-1949, Vase with Flying Fish Design, ca. 1930s, Silver with gilding, 12 x 8 2/5 in (30.5 x 21.4 cm), Private Collection.

Click Here To Learn More