Tide Changing Jewel with Dragon
Unknown Artist
early 1900s
Medium
silver, shakudō (copper and gold alloy), and crystal
Dimensions
diam. 1.5 cm · height with stand: h. 35.6 cm
Classification
Metalwork
Department
Japanese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Bequest of Cornelia Blakemore Warner
Accession Number
1947.682
About this artwork
An early Japanese legend describes a god of the sea who possesses two jewels responsible for controlling the ebb and flow of the tides. In other legends, the jewels belong to a Dragon King who rules from a palace beyond or beneath the sea. Tales received from China feature a dragon clutching a pearl who can generate rain. This okimono (a small sculptural object without a function) mines imagery associated with these tales while aiming to appeal to the interest in gems and minerals embraced by so...