Soga Shōhaku, Tiger, late 1770s. Ink on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Takashi Murakami, Kawaii - vacances (Summer Vacation in the Kingdom of the Golden), 2008. Acrylic and gold leaf on canvas mounted on aluminum frame. 300 x 900 x 5.1 cm (9 ft. 10 1/8 in. x 29 ft. 6 3/8 in. x 2 in.), 6 panels. Private collection. © 2008 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.

School of Tawaraya Sōtatsu, Poppies, 17th century. Ink and color on gold-leafed paper. Gift of Mrs. W. Scott Fitz. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Takashi Murakami, Lots, Lots of Kaikai and Kiki, 2009. Acrylic and platinum leaf on canvas mounted on aluminum frame. 300 x 608 x 5.1 cm (9 ft. 10 1/8 in. x 19 ft. 11 3/8 in. x 2 in.), 5 panels. Private collection. © 2009 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.

Attributed to Hishikawa Moronobu, Scenes from the Nakamura Kabuki Theater, 1684–1704. Ink and color on gold-leafed paper. Gift of Oliver W. Peabody. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Takashi Murakami, Oval Buddha Silver, 2008–2011. Sterling silver. 136.5 x 80.5 x 78 cm (4 ft. 5 5/8 in. x 2 ft. 7 5/8 in. x 2 ft. 6 5/8 in.). Courtesy of the artist. © 2008 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.

Shaka, the Historical Buddha, late 10th–early 11th century. Cherry with polychrome and gold; single woodblock construction. Denman Waldo Ross Collection. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Takashi Murakami, Dragon in Clouds—Red Mutation: The version I painted myself in annoyance after Professor Nobuo Tsuji told me, “Why don’t you paint something yourself for once?”, 2010. Acrylic on canvas. 367 x 1800 cm (12 ft. 1/2 in. x 59 ft. 5/8 in.). Courtesy of the artist. © 2010 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.

Soga Shōhaku, Dragon and Clouds, 1763. Ink on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.