The rakan have set off to find the Dragon Palace. This wonderland destination under the sea where time stands still was popularized in the Japanese folktale Urashima Taro, in which the hero is led there by a turtle he had saved. Here, instead of riding sea turtles, the rakan are transported by octopus, prawn, horse, lion, and even a lotus petal. The dragon and tiger, a staple motif, also become vehicles, the rendering of the latter suggesting the painting style of Katsushika Hokusai (1760ā1849). Two seated rakan at rightāthe first sewing, the second making notationsāallude to another familiar pair from the iconography of Zen ink painting.
Kano Kazunobu (1816ā63)
Japan, Edo Period, ca. 1854ā63
Hanging scroll, ink and color on silk
Collection, ZÅjÅji, Tokyo