Kōryū, the “rainbow dragon”
Not a made object · Mummified Japanese marten, with remains of a mole and crow- and pigeon-family birds · Animal lived mid-11th to mid-12th century (dating analysis) · Shōsō-in Treasures, South Section 174
This 23-centimetre “dragon” has been identified by research as the mummified body of a Japanese marten.
Exhibition: The 78th Annual Exhibition of Shōsō-in Treasures — Nara National Museum · –