明初　象牙雕螭龍方牌|Plaque with dragons

Unknown

early 15th century · Ivory · Asian Art

This exquisite plaque features detailed relief carvings of five sinuous dragons amid stylized clouds. Not satisfied merely to reproduce an existing design, the artist enhanced the motif’s visual appeal by articulating novel attributes for the five dragons, including long, elephantlike snouts, single long horns, feline heads, and even beaks resembling those of an eagle.

Artist

Unknown

Date

early 15th century

Medium

Ivory

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 2019