Carp undated Gong Gu A massive carp leads its eight children through thick aquatic grasses below the waters surface. It was said that examination success was as difficult as the mythical carp leaping over the waterfalls of the Yellow Rivers Dragon Gate, so carp were a frequently used symbol of wishes for examination success. This painting might have been hung in the home of an examination candidate either to inspire or celebrate a successful result. The painter Gong Gu is otherwise unknown, but the splashy brushwork and broad washes suggest that the painting may be Cantonese, from the mid to late nineteenth century.. Carp. Gong Gu (Chinese, active 19th century) ?. China. undated. Set of four hanging scrolls, ink and color on paper. Paintings