Lot 3829. An important iron articulated sculpture of a dragon, Meiji-Taisho period (early 20th century), signed Muneyoshi (Tanaka Tadayoshi; ?-1958); 118 1/8 in. (300 cm.) long. Estimate HKD 6,500,000 - HKD 9,500,000 (USD 833,138 - USD 1,217,663). Unsold. © Christie's Images Ltd 2018.

The russet-iron dragon finely constructed of numerous hammered plates jointed inside the body; the mouth opens, the tongue, limbs and claws move, the body bends, the head is applied with elaborate horns, spines and whiskers, the details are finely carved and chiseled, the eyes and flames embellished with gilt, the incised signature on underside of jaw.

Literature: Kuo Hong-Sheng and Chang Yuan-Feng, chief eds. et al., Meiji no bi / Splendid Beauty: Illustrious Crafts of the Meiji Period (Taipei: National Taiwan Normal University Research Center for Conservation of Cultural Relics, 2013), pp. 294-297. 

Exhibited: National Palace Museum, “The arts and Cultures of Asia,” 2004. cat. no. 19. 
“Meiji Kogei: Amazing Japanese Art,” shown at the following venues: Tokyo University of the Arts Museum, 2016.9.7-10.30. Hosomi Museum, Kyoto, 2016.11.12-12.25. Kawagoe City Art Museum, 2017.4.22-6.11 .cat. no. 1.

Christie's. The Meiji Aesthetic: Selected Masterpieces from a Private Asian Collection, Hong Kong, 27 November 2018