Artwork Page for Dragon

Details / Information for Dragon

Dragon

early to mid-1600s

attributed to Soga Nichokuan 曽我二直庵

(Japanese)
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Culture
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)
Medium
six-panel folding screen; ink, slight color, gold, and silver on paper
Measurements
Image: 158.1 x 304.8 cm (62 1/4 x 120 in.); Including mounting: 173.4 x 377.2 cm (68 1/4 x 148 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund 1985.134.1
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

A dragon dives through clouds on this screen, while on the other screen, a tiger looks upon a waterfall as it prowls out of a bamboo grove. Tiger and dragon are traditional symbols of the balancing forces in the world, yin (the feminine aspect) and yang (the masculine aspect). This painting has a signature and seals, identifying it as a work by Soga Nichokuan, a painter thought to be from Sakai (near Osaka), and known primarily for his representations of hawk-eagles (kumataka).
A horizontally oriented ink and gold painting on a six-panel folding screen depicts a dragon winding through dark, swirling clouds. On the far right, its head has sharp horns, wide eyes, and long whiskers. Sharp, curved claws emerge from the gray scaly body, which stretches left toward a curled tail. Hazy tan and dark gray ink washes fill the background, creating a sense of turbulent movement across the wide surface.

Dragon

early to mid-1600s

Soga Nichokuan

(Japanese)
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)

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