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Learn MoreSeptember 6 - December 21, 2024
In Stern Gallery
September 6 - December 21, 2024
In Stern Gallery
For many decades, one of the most popular works of Asian art at the Allen has been an impressive Japanese bronze sculpture of a large, coiling dragon. Made as a work of export art during Japan’s modernizing Meiji period (1868–1912), it came to the college in 1904 as a gift from a Cleveland collector.
For years, it was used as a fountain in the museum’s rear courtyard, causing damage due to exposure. In the 1990s, the dragon was conserved and has been exhibited as a work of art inside the museum ever since. However, few people know that the dragon was only the base of a much larger work. Now, after a full restoration thanks to a generous grant from the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, the complete work—roughly 7 feet high—can be seen in its entirety.
This artwork will be exhibited with other dragon-themed works to celebrate the restoration project and 2024 as the Year of the Dragon. A set of 16th-century Japanese paintings, Ascending Dragon and Descending Dragon, are paired with a contemporary video work, Five Dragons, by Chinese artist Yang Yongliang. All emphasize the role of dragons in East Asia as mysterious nature spirits and bringers of rain. In contrast, English painter John Martin’s Cadmus and the Dragon (1813) highlights the more malevolent role of dragons in European myths and legends.
Come celebrate the rebirth of the dragon and see the other amazing updates to the Allen after our summer closure!
October 17, 2024 at 5:30 p.m.
Dragons—controllers of weather, bringers of life-giving rain, and symbols of imperial majesty—have played a leading ro...
November 2, 2024 at 12:00 p.m.
Enjoy an afternoon of activities for art lovers of all ages! Explore the recently restored bronze dragon and other creature-themed...
September 28, 2024 at 11:00 a.m.
Katie Baum (OC 2025) leads an informal discussion on the Incense Burner with Dragon Base. This event is part of our Object Talk s...
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