Articulated Dragon 自在龍置物じざいりゅうおきもの

Description

This majestic dragon looks forward with neck raised and body winding gracefully. It radiates power with it sturdy legs and sharp claws. It is depicted in a realistic fashion, right down to the horns, scales, and whiskers. It seems poised on the brink of movement. It also has a body that can be moved freely and posed. It is made of several smaller parts that are carefully fitted together to ensure the joints are adjustable, thus enabling the overall structure to move smoothly. The parts were made by heating iron plates and beating them into shape. This process requires time, patience, and skill.

From the inscription on the dragon's neck, we know the dragon was made in Kanda, Tokyo, in 1713. We also know it was made by Myochin Mune'akira when he was 31. The Myochin family were armor makers, with Mune'akira also inheriting this business. Iron was commonly used in Japanese armor. It was heated and beaten into shape, a technique also used to full effect in the production of this dragon.

In the 17th century, the Tokugawa shogunate unified Japan under its control. This ushered in a peaceful age of social and economic stability in the 18th century. Armor makers continued to work for feudal lords across Japan, but the armor they produced was more for decorative purposes than for actual use. This probably explains why these armor makers also began to make realistic, articulated objects commissioned by feudal lords and other powerful figures. Other articulated objects include snakes, shrimp, crabs, carp, and praying mantises. Many of these featured the inscribed name of an armor maker from the Myochin family. Some were used as paperweights, but most were purely objects of appreciation with no practical use. Perhaps they were enjoyed in a similar manner to the way people play with figurines today.

This posable dragon was assembled from pieces of iron. These were forged and assembled with precision, allowed the body, legs, and claws to move freely. An inscription under the chin reveals that the dragon was made in 1713 by Myōchin Muneaki (1682–1751), who belonged to a renowned lineage of armor makers.