唐 鎏金青銅走龍|Dragon
Unknown Artist
7th century
Medium
Gilt bronze
Dimensions
H. 2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm); L. 4 in. (10.2 cm); Th. 7/8 in. (2.2 cm)
Classification
Sculpture
Culture & Period
China · Tang dynasty (618–907)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of George D. Pratt, 1930
Accession Number
30.37.3
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite gilt bronze "Walking Dragon" (走龍), crafted in 7th-century Tang dynasty China, captures the era's masterful blend of realism and dynamism. Standing just 2¼ inches tall and 4 inches long, small sculpture depicts a sinuous dragon in mid-stride, its body twisting with muscular energy and scales finely detailed. The unknown artist employed lost-wax casting—a sophisticated technique—to create the hollow bronze form, then applied a thin gold leaf gilding that still gleams today, evoking imperial luxury. In Tang China (618–907), a cosmopolitan golden age influenced by Buddhism and Cent...