Not on display

Figure

ca. 1750-1900 (made)
Artist/Maker
Myochin (designed and made by)
Place of origin
Japan (made)

Articulated figure of a snake made of wrought iron; eyes and tongue gilded.

Articulated iron animals (Japanese jizai), fish and insects were first made by armourers as a sideline. The date of the earliest examples is not certain, but most of them were probably made after about 1750. They were very popular in Europe during the Meiji period (1868-1912).

Object details

Object type
Figure
Materials and techniques
Iron
Brief description
Met, Japan, ANIMAL FIGURES; snake
Physical description
Wrought iron model of a snake made by Myochin
Dimensions
  • Length: 91.4cm
Marks and inscriptions
'made by Myochin'

Note
Signed
Subject depicted
Snake
Summary
Articulated figure of a snake made of wrought iron; eyes and tongue gilded.

Articulated iron animals (Japanese jizai), fish and insects were first made by armourers as a sideline. The date of the earliest examples is not certain, but most of them were probably made after about 1750. They were very popular in Europe during the Meiji period (1868-1912).
Collection
East Asia Collection
Accession number
M.39-1947

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Record createdJune 25, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O498598/figure-myochin/
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