The Cranbrook Academy of Art was a leader in the development of modernism in the U.S., with a strong emphasis on unified design and craftsmanship, guided by Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen and his wife Loja. She established Studio Loja Saarinen on the Cranbrook Campus as distinct from the Department of Weaving and Textile Design which she also headed. Her studio advanced the notion of textiles as an art form, weaving striking rugs, wall hangings, and other textiles for the campus and other commissions. Loja's son Eero, who achieved architectural fame in the 1950s, is credited with this design of a leaping fish. The stylization and muted colors show the Saarinens' contributions to the American Art Deco style. It was purchased in the late 1930s for the Charles J. Koebel residence in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, designed by J. Robert F. Swanson, son-in-law of Eliel and Loja Saarinen, with interiors by their daughter Pipsan.