Year of the Dragon Woodblock Print Animal by Shin Kogei

This dragon is from the series of woodblock print animals made by by Shin Kogei of Hida-Takayama in Gifu

They are a special edition to commemorate the year of the dragon: 2024.

Shin Kogei were founded in Hida-Takayama in the snowy north of Gifu prefecture by a local artist, and their shop is a location to visit within the town. Hida-Takayama was an important castle settlement in the Middle Ages, and today has a fine tradition for wood craft.

Shin Kogei use wood to make their printing blocks in a technique traditional to their region. This method is used to dye the rustic cotton fabric, before steam vapour is applied to seal the colours. The animals are then filled with natural casks and hand sewn.

It is 10cm wide and 7cm high.