Altar cloth (uchishiki) with Qin Gao riding a carp and parable of Lu Ji

Two separate designs adorn opposite corners of this sumptuous embroidered textile, which was likely made to decorate a Buddhist altar. Both sides feature meritorious figures from Chinese legend. The left side depicts the hermit Qin Gao, who leapt into Lake Zhuo chasing a dragon and emerged riding a giant carp. On the other side of the diagonal is a story illustrating filial piety. It shows the six-year-old boy Lu Ji, who concealed two oranges in his sleeve during a visit to a high-ranking minister; when the oranges slipped to the ground, Ji confessed to the minister that he had hidden the fruit only as a gift for his mother.

The carp, which is padded to create a bas-relief effect, is accentuated by the addition of a glass eye.