MEIJI PERIOD (LATE 19TH CENTURY), SIGNED GYOKURYUKEN SANMI

The dragon is associated with a wealth of legend and symbolism in old Japan, signifying both the holy nature of Shinto and the wisdom of Buddhism. Representations of the dragon are found from the earliest historical period, wall paintings in the stone tomb chambers of the Kofun period (4th-7th centuries) together with tiger, phoenix, and gryphon. In Shinto mythology the deity Ryujin is a dragon who lives under the sea and bears a jewel that controls the tides. In esoteric Buddhism, the dragon and the sword indicate the rope and double-edged sword of Fudo Myo-o.
For a silver ornament of a dragon and crystal ball see Joe Earle, Splendors of Meiji, Treasures of Imperial Japan, Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection (St. Petersburg, Fla.: Broughton International, Inc., 1999), pl. 135.