Ryu Shoten, Mt. Fuji and Dragon — 龍昇天
by Ogata Gekko
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Source:
- Japanese Art Open Database
- Image courtesy of
- Japanese Art Open Database
Description
Ryu shoten (龍昇天, dragon ascending to heaven) is a subject that combines two of the most potent symbols in Japanese visual culture — the dragon and Mount Fuji — into a single dramatic composition. This print, one of two variants Gekko produced of this design, likely shows a sinuous dragon spiraling upward through clouds above Fuji's snow-capped cone. Dragons in the Japanese tradition are water deities and bringers of rain rather than malevolent creatures, and their ascent toward heaven carries an auspicious, cosmological charge. Gekko would have used graduated bokashi for the sky — perhaps deep blue or purple gradients — to convey altitude and atmospheric drama, while the dragon's scales and whiskers required fine carving. The pairing of dragon and Fuji was a popular auspicious image for New Year prints and commemorative editions.
More Prints by Ogata Gekko
More Landscapes Prints
Lake Kugushi in Wakasa Province (Wakasa Kugushiko), from the series Souvenirs of Travel I (Tabi miyage dai isshu)"
Wakasa Kugushiko
1920
Color woodblock print; oban
Autumn Maple Leaves at Takao, from the album Eight Views of Kyoto (Kyôto hakkei)
Woodblock print
The Beach at Kaiganji in Sanuki Province (Sanuki Kaiganji no hama), from the series "Collection of Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen)"
1934
Color woodblock print; oban
Tea Kettle, section of a sheet from the series "Mirror of Stone Rubbings of Views of the Provinces" (Kohon meihitsu ishizuri kagami)
n.d.
Woodblock print; ishizuri-e, section of harimaze sheet
Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ryu Shoten, Mt. Fuji and Dragon — 龍昇天 was created by Ogata Gekko (尾形月耕).
Ryu Shoten, Mt. Fuji and Dragon — 龍昇天 depicts landscapes.