Articulated "Jizai" Figurine of a Dragon (tatsu)
Artist
Myōchin Munekazu
(Japanese)
Date1850–1900
Mediumrusseted iron
Dimensions10 × 9 × 67 cm (3 15/16 × 3 9/16 × 26 3/8 in.), 1 lb, 14 oz (weight)
ClassificationsSculpture
Credit LineThe John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection
Object number2014.610
Label TextJizai were articulated figurines crafted of iron. The earliest known examples date to the 1700s, and were made by the Myōchin family of armorers. This dragon, made by a later member of the family, is exquisitely articulated: not only does his body move like a snake, but even his claws, jaws and tongue are designed to move.Provenance(Yamanaka & Co., Inc., New York, NY); October 30, 1941, purchased by the Higgins Armory Museum, Worcester, MA; January 2014, transferred with Higgins Armory Collection to the Worcester Art Museum.On View
Not on view
Myōchin Yoshimichi
1600s–1700s
