Japanese Figure Depicting Stylized Dragon

Round disc, a sharp wedge and a ball on a stick, balanced against each other.

This cast iron figure of a stylized dragon from Japan is from Japan, and dates to the mid 20th century. Dragons in Japanese art are generally shown as serpentine creatures linked with water and rain, and they appear in painting, sculpture and metalwork. Abstract construction in which a round plate stands on edge, a curved blade crosses it, and a thin arm with a round knob rises above. The green-yellow surface is mottled and worn, with brown showing through. It is 5.75 inches wide, 2 deep and 5.25 high.

Part puzzle, part sculpture, entirely self-assured.