Smoking Dragon
Moriki Rosetsu
1868
Medium
Color woodblock print; surimono
Dimensions
12.3 × 36.5 cm (4 7/8 × 14 3/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
43125
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This is a witty New Year’s image of an ash container of a smoking set (tabakobon). The ash from a pipe was usually knocked out and placed in a bamboo tube that formed a part of the smoking set. As such, this tube typically emitted a small trail of smoke. In the imagination of the artist, the tube held a fire-breathing dragon, emitting smoke from its mouth and lurking just inside.