Artwork Page for Dragon

Details / Information for Dragon

Dragon

龍圖

c. 1250–79

Fachang Muqi 法常 牧谿

(Chinese, 1220–1280)
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Culture
China, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279)
Medium
Hanging scroll; ink on silk
Measurements
Painting: 125.2 x 57.2 cm (49 5/16 x 22 1/2 in.); Overall with knobs: 226.8 x 78 cm (89 5/16 x 30 11/16 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1958.427.1
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

Fachang Muqi was a Chinese Chan Buddhist monk and painter.

Description

The dragon and tiger are tied to the philosophical concept of yin and yang, which describes opposite but complementary forces. The dragon occupies a tiered background of waves and mist. Its luminous head emerges from the darker passages, and its narrow twisting body is serpent-like. By contrast, the close-up view of the tiger emphasizes its bulk. The tiger bends its head to lick its paw while its tail curls in the foreground.

In their original Chan Buddhist context, this pair of scrolls likely flanked a central image, like the Bodhisattva Guanyin. The silk has darkened over the centuries, and the slight reddish shading in the tiger’s tongue and nose has faded.
A vertical hanging scroll in black ink on dark brown silk depicts a dragon emerging from swirling mists above white-capped waves. Turned slightly to our left, the dragon's head features wide eyes and long whiskers while its body winds through the dark atmosphere. Navy blue and gold floral fabric borders the top and bottom of the central painting. Subtle ink details blend into the aged background, creating a monochromatic and atmospheric composition.

Dragon

c. 1250–79

Fachang Muqi

(Chinese, 1220–1280)
China, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279)

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