Liu Hai and the three-legged toad
A Chinese legend: Liu Hai fished a three-legged toad out of a well, using a string of coins as his line. A Qing-dynasty plaque at the Met shows the story. In folk tradition, the pair became a sign of wealth.The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds a round Qing-dynasty plaque that shows the legend: Liu Hai lowers a string of copper coins into a well and draws up a three-legged toad. It is the earliest image of the story in our files.
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