Mirage of Dragon Palace (Ryugu) from Clam's Breath
early 19th century (possibly 1820)
Medium
Color woodblock print; surimono
Dimensions
21.6 × 18.7 cm (8 9/16 × 7 3/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
81499
Art Historical Context
Behold *Mirage of Dragon PalaceRyugu) from Cl Breath*, a captivating color woodblock print by Keisai Eisen, a master of Japan's ukiyo-e tradition in the early 19th century (circa 1820). Eisen, renowned for his elegant depictions of beauties and scenes from folklore, draws here from the legendary Dragon Palace of Ryugu-jo—the opulent underwater realm from the tale of fisherman Urashima Taro. This "mirage" evoked from a clamshell's breath whimsically blends myth with poetic imagination, reflecting Edo-period fascination with the supernatural and the ephemeral beauty of the floating world. As a ...
About the Artist
Keisai Eisen · 1790–1848
Keisai Eisen (1790–1848), born Ikeda Yoshinobu in Edo (modern Tokyo), emerged as one of the late Edo period's most prolific ukiyo-e masters. The son of the renowned calligrapher and Kanō-school painter Ikeda Shigeharu, Eisen was immersed in the arts from childhood. He apprenticed under Kanō Hakkeisai, adopting the art name "Keisai" in homage to his teacher, and later studied bijin-ga (images of be...