Lying Dragon Sakura — 臥龍桜
by Sano Seiji
- Date:
- 1996
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Format:
- Oban
- Source:
- Japanese Art Open Database
Description
The Lying Dragon Sakura (臥龍桜) is a celebrated ancient cherry tree in Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, whose massive trunk extends horizontally along the ground before rising upward, resembling a reclining dragon. Sano's 1996 oban woodblock print conveys the tree's enormous lateral spread, with gnarled limbs supporting cascades of pale pink blossoms. The trunk's tortuous shape gives the composition a sense of coiled energy, as though the centuries-old tree might stir at any moment. Surrounding foliage frames the sakura without crowding it, and the viewer's eye follows the trunk's serpentine path from root to crown. The mythological dragon reference embedded in the tree's name becomes visually legible in the wood's sinuous contours.
More Prints by Sano Seiji
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
Lying Dragon Sakura — 臥龍桜 was created by Sano Seiji (佐野精二) in 1996.
Lying Dragon Sakura — 臥龍桜 depicts landscapes, cherry blossoms, and mythology.