Figures with dragons
Two legends about attachment and the afterlife likely informed this painting. The couple could be the cowherd and weaver maid, star-crossed lovers banished to opposites sides of the heavenly river (the Milky Way). They are celebrated at the Chilseok festival on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, the only day when they were allowed to meet. The pair of dragons could be ssangyong, twin dragons who enter the heavens together because of their generosity. Their colors and interlacing forms echo the dragons found on sangyeo (funeral biers). Taken together, the imagery of this painting suggests it may have been used in funerary rituals to guide the deceased to the heavens, possibly to reunite with a partner who had passed earlier.
Artwork Details
- 작자미상 무신도 조선
- 作者未詳 巫神圖 朝鮮
- Title: Figures with dragons
- Artist: Unidentified artist
- Period: Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)
- Date: late 19th–early 20th century
- Culture: Korea
- Medium: Ink and color on paper
- Dimensions: Frame: 41 3/4 × 34 1/2 in. (106 × 87.6 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Gift of the children of Lea R. Sneider, 2024
- Object Number: 2024.89.7
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Unidentified artist
Unidentified artist
Unidentified artist
Unidentified artist
Unidentified artist
18th–19th century
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.