Ryūgū Tamatori no zu (Stealing the Pearl from the Palace of the Dragon King), Utagawa Toyoharu

Artwork Overview

Utagawa Toyoharu, Ryūgū Tamatori no zu (Stealing the Pearl from the Palace of the Dragon King)
Utagawa Toyoharu, Ryūgū Tamatori no zu (Stealing the Pearl from the Palace of the Dragon King)
Utagawa Toyoharu
Ryūgū Tamatori no zu (Stealing the Pearl from the Palace of the Dragon King)
1770s, Edo period (1600–1868)
Utagawa Toyoharu, artist
1735–1814
Ryūgū Tamatori no zu (Stealing the Pearl from the Palace of the Dragon King), 1770s, Edo period (1600–1868)
Portfolio/Series title: Perspective Pictures of Japanese Scenes (Ukie Wakoku Keiseki)
Where object was made: Japan
Material/technique: color woodcut
Dimensions:
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 247 x 363 mm
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 9 3/4 x 14 5/16 in
Sheet/Paper Dimensions (Height x Width): 266 x 390 mm
Sheet/Paper Dimensions (Height x Width): 10 1/2 x 15 3/8 in
Mat Dimensions (Height x Width): 14 x 19 in
Credit line: William Bridges Thayer Memorial
Accession number: 1928.7519
Not on display
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Label texts

Exhibition Label:
"The Art of Stories Told," Jun-2004, Veronica de Jong
There are many legends and tales about dragons in China and Japan. They are thought to be benevolent creatures that bring rain and good fortune. Because of their association with water, dragons are also thought to live in rivers where they reside in beautiful palaces full of riches.
The scene depicted here comes from the story Tamatori monogatari. The daughter of Fujiwara no Kamatari married a Chinese emperor, and according to the story, Kamatari is presented with a special jewel (menkofuhai) from the emperor. Ryujin (Dragon King) intercepts the jewel and takes it to his palace in the sea. A woman manages to recover the jewel, but she cuts open her chest in order to hide it from her pursuers who become frightened by her blood.
Utagawa Toyoharu’s depiction of this event is lively and creative. The Dragon King is shown with an elaborate crown on his head inside the palace and a dragon and other attendants are shown racing towards the viewer. On the right we see the woman in the water with the jewel in her hands, and in the distance are two boats waiting to scoop her out of the water. The semi-circular movement of the action is cleverly employed in a scene that is given considerable depth through the use of Western perspective.

Exhibitions

Brosseau Center for Learning: Understanding the Understudied: Unusual Japanese Prints in the Spencer Museum of Art
2019