The Jewel Taker (Tamatori), from the series "The Palace of the Dragon King (Ryugu)"

The Jewel Taker (Tamatori), from the series The Palace of the Dragon King (Ryugu), is a surimono by Ryuryukyo Shinsai dated around 1820 and held by the Art Institute of Chicago. A pupil of Katsushika Hokusai and a leading designer within the Hokusai school, Shinsai applied the resources of the surimono format to legendary subjects as well as still lifes. The print belongs to a series themed around Ryugu, the undersea palace of the Dragon King in Japanese mythology, a setting filled with sumptuous coral halls and fantastic marine creatures. Tamatori is the legendary female diver who recovers a precious jewel stolen by the Dragon King for the Fujiwara clan, a story celebrated in poetry, theatre, and Edo-period prints. Shinsai depicts Tamatori in the climactic moment of her descent or ascent, often shown clutching the jewel while pursued by the dragon's retinue. The Hokusai-school sensibility is visible in the dramatic linework, the dynamic curves of waves and drapery, and the imaginative treatment of underwater architecture. As a surimono, the sheet displays the full range of luxury printing effects: soft color gradations, embossed blindprinting (karazuri), and metallic pigments evoking pearl, gold, and the shimmer of submerged scales. Distributed among kyoka poetry circles, the print united a beloved legend with the poetic and decorative refinements of surimono. Source: Art Institute of Chicago, https://www.artic.edu/artworks/23528.