Ryukyuan Lacquerware > golden dragons and polychrome clouds

HOME > Process of Reconstructing Shuri Castle > Reconstruction of Seiden (Main Palace)

Karahafu of Shuri Castle's Seiden

The front entrance to the Seiden is marked with the tympanum of Karahafu (undulating bargeboard). The architecture of the tympanum is Japanese style. However, it is decorated with golden dragons and polychrome clouds carved on both sides, which is a unique art of the Ryukyus different from both Japanese and Chinese arts. The image of golden dragons and polychrome clouds are also carved on various parts of the worshipper's shelter and the Seiden.

Golden dragons and polychrome clouds remain only in old pictures of a limited number. Thus, we had to visit many temples and royal palaces in other nations and Japan.

As a result, the ascending dragons drawn in old time pictures appear at Tai He Dian of the Forbidden City and Shuri Castle exclusively. The dragons of the Ryukyus come in a pair of open and closed mouths that are facing each other.

It was directly drawn on the full-scale Japanese paper.

Further study found that the golden dragons covered with gold leaf were also used frequently in lacquerware made during the 17th and 18th centuries. The polychrome clouds were in five colors: ultramarine blue, blue-green (green), vermillion, white, and yellow. The confirmed colors were taken from the door and pieces of plaque of Enkakuji temple.

The ascending dragon of the worshipper's shelter was restored as a powerful image of the dragon flying to heaven.

The clouds are expressed in "Ungen" coloring technique, mixing the white color and the original colors on the center and laying it outwards to make color gradation.