The following photograph-rich article is about the Dragon Gate Carp of the Dragon Gate waterfall in China. This article also features unique traditional popular culture associated with the Dragon Gate Carp in China and Japan.  In addition, varieties of dragon fish and horned fish around the world are featured here. Some of such freaks of nature and/or gaffs (rogue taxidermy artworks) have been featured at sideshows here in America for over a century. This manuscript was produced by Dr. Eriko N. Bond, noted art critic and book author in New York City, as told by Takeshi Yamada. Yamada is one of the most active artists in New York City and has had over 400 fine art exhibitions internationally.

TAKESHI YAMADA

ON

DRAGON FISH & HORNED FISH

Part 6

Sea elephant tusks, dragon teeth, two portrait paintings of Takeshi Yamada

on display at Museum of World Wonders in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York.

(August 16, 2001)

Dragon Gate Carp in Pop Culture

The gloriously curved and majestically colored statues of Dragon Gate Carp have been enshrined at Buddhist temples and Taoism temples in China, Korea, and Japan and other Asian countries for many centuries. Shown below is one of the sublime examples found in Korea.

A magnificent wooden Dragon Gate Carp on display at a Buddhist temple in Korea.

http://www.sticksoftware.com/wedding/momkorea/Originals/103.JPG

The Dragon Gate Carp is very famous and its figurines as good luck charms are very popular among Chinese and other Asian countries even today. One of the sale’s pitches of this novelty merchandise reads “Display this auspicious carp anywhere in your home to enjoy abundant good fortune and prosperity luck. For business, place on your work desk to achieve career success. For students, place on your study desk to attain academic excellence. “

The Dragon Carp figurines like these are popular good luck charms sold in China.

They are usually golden metallic color or painted in vibrant energetic colors as shown above.

Jade Dragon Carp Tassel.

The Dragon Carp made of jade as shown above is also very popular in China. The sales pitch reads “This works exactly like Feng Shui Fishes, except that health benefits are also added in this auspicious item. The Dragon Carps are a constant reminder of the pursuit of excellence and high ambitions. They are said to provide the positive energies by which many have achieved greatness. You too can have the Dragon Carps help you cross your Dragon Gates to achieve whatever goals you may have set.”

A pair of vases representing the Dragon Carp

Horned Devil Fish

Before completing this article, this author was compelled to add following information about the unique fish categorized as “Horned Devil Fish”.   

Shown below is a taxidermy drawing of one of the human-faced fish with horns. This animal is not from China; it is from Iran. For more information about human-faced fish, read article by Takeshi Yamada entitled “Human-faced Fish”.

Iranian Horned Carnivorous Human-faced Fish (Iranian Devil Fish)

Pen and ink on paper, 8.5x11 inch, Takeshi Yamada, 2007 (20071217)

Collection of Museum of World Wonders in Coney Island

Takeshi Yamada created a series of kimera insects (rogue taxidermy) and exhibited them at his school in 1960’s in Japan. (Needless to say, Japan is the first and only nation attacked with  nuclear weapons in world history.) This series of “Nuclear Radiation Giant Beatles of Bikini Atoll” (some of them are 18-inch long) are now displayed at Yamada’s Museum Of World Wonders in the Coney Island area of Brooklyn, New York, opened shortly after he moved to Coney Island in 2002.

In the United States, unlike in the Eastern nations, the culture of “dragon fish” or “horned fish” as a good-luck-charm never originated nor became popularized. Instead, the horned fish is considered simply as a freak of nature or even the product of the devil (this could well be said to any Western nations). Being inspired by the deadly polluted environment caused by the horror of the atomic/nuclear weapons or radioactive pollution, some of the modern artists created monstrous evil-looking animals as voiceless victims. In California, a famous sideshow gaff master Doug Higley created a series of eerie horned devil fish called “Atomic Fish” as Single-O sideshow attractions in the early 90's (through today). Higley is a prolific artist and some of his creations can be purchased at his website.

http://www.GrindShow.com

Atomic Fish Sculptured ‘Zibit’ by Doug Higley

Note: About the word “Devil (鬼. Oni)”: In the religious doctrine of Buddhism, there are two kinds of devils. One is Akki (悪鬼. bad devil) and another is Zenki (善鬼. good devil). They are both absolutely necessary part of the universal function - they are Yin and Yang. In appearance, they are almost identical – an athletic-looking humanoid with a pair of horns protruding from its head. Also, they both kill people and destroy environments. Nevertheless, their targets are completely opposite. The bad devils only attack and kill good/innocent people. The good devils only attack and kill evil/guilty people. According to the teaching of Buddhism, Moses of the Old Testament is a good devil because he killed one group of humans (Egyptian troops) for saving his religious followers. At the end of the year, in the northern part of Japan (Touhoke area), a type of good devil called Namahage, visits houses seeking naughty children and threatens to kill them with a big chopper knife --- they are thought equivalent to the Santa Clause of America. For more information, read article entitled “Reality of Devils” by Takeshi Yamada.

Namahage is a good devil in Japan.

Note: For more information about Takeshi Yamada, his article about Cabinet of Curiosities, rogue taxidermy artworks, curiosities/oddities, circus sideshows, Coney Island, Renaissance zoology, modern cryptozoology, alchemy. Wizardry/Magic, divination/fortune telling, and other fascinating topics, see following website.

http://www.sideshowworld.com/SSA-15.html

Takeshi Yamada, Seara (Sea Rabbit), and Sarah (mermaid) at Museum of World Wonders.

(July 4, 2008)

END

Copyright by Takeshi Yamada, Museum of World Wonders in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York, April 2007. Revised in July 2008. All Rights Reserved.    

E-mail: yamada108@verizon.net

Special thanks to Dr. Eriko N. Bond, Lauren D. Travis, Maremi Kakushina and Seara (Sea Rabbit)

Also special thanks to Doug Higley (Senior Proofreader)

http://www.sideshowworld.com/SSA-15.html

http://www.roguetaxidermy.com/members_detail.php?id=528

http://www.horseshoecrab.org/poem/feature/takeshi.html

http://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/events/exhibitions/other/worldwonders.jsp