Photo: National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea

Dragon-head panel

20th century

This dragon-head panel was originally part of a sarcophagus. The dragon’s bulging eyes and sharp fangs make him scary enough to repel evil spirits and guide the deceased to an eternal afterlife.

Wood with paint

11 x 21 1/2 in. (27.94 x 54.61 cm)

Partial gift of MaryAnn and Jerry Ruthruff and the Margaret E. Fuller Purchase Fund

92.156

Photo: National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea

Now on view at the Asian Art Museum

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Documents International: Reflections in the Mirror: A World of Identity, Apr. 23, 1998 - June 20, 1999.

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Boundless: Stories of Asian Art, Feb. 8, 2020 - ongoing.

Published References"Korean Art Collection in the Seattle Art Museum, U.S.A." Tajaon Kwangyaoksi: Kungnip Munhwaja Yaonguso, 2015, pg. 155.

Seattle Art Museum respectfully acknowledges that we are on Indigenous land, the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people. We honor our ongoing connection to these communities past, present, and future.

Learn more about Equity at SAM