Artwork preview

Dragon Amid Clouds and Waves

Unidentified artist

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

A large, vertical painting on brown paper features two dragons. The dragons are drawn in dark brown ink and appear to be emerging from clouds and waves. The top dragon faces left and the bottom dragon faces right. The dragons have five claws, long bodies with scales, and tails that curl at the ends. The top dragon's body curves down then back up to the right. The bottom dragon's body curves up then back down to the left. The background includes dark and light brown clouds and waves. A decorative border frames the painting. The border has a thin, solid gold line on the inner and outer edges. Inside the inner gold line is a pattern of squares, each containing a different design. Outside the outer gold line is a wider decorative strip with a repeating pattern of gold vines and flowers on a brown background.

Artwork Details

Date
15th–16th century
Medium
Hanging scroll; ink on silk
Culture
China
Dimensions
468 × 624 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette