The Dragon Issue — Dragon Art T-Shirt | Specimen & Issue

A modest denomination; an immodest escort.

On Bhutan’s 1986 one-ngultrum note, facing dragons flank a central emblem. The Druk, or thunder dragon, belongs to Bhutan’s national symbolism, so these creatures are doing more than making the money handsome. They carry an identity. Bhutan introduced the ngultrum in 1974; the note behind this design comes from a currency still young enough to have its beginnings within living memory, bearing imagery with a much longer life.

The chest specimen preserves that small encounter with the original note. Across the back, the dragons uncoil toward a golden pearl, their blue bodies moving through pale cloud forms and orange ornament. The composition borrows the source’s paired guardians and gives them a wider field in which to conduct their formidable business.

Spend enough time with world banknotes and the familiar parade of solemn portraits begins to seem only one possibility among many. A country may choose a poet, a bird, a mountain—or two dragons, apparently unwilling to leave even the smallest sum unattended.

SPECIMEN & ISSUE — A Breach in Taste

Real currencies, encountered twice: an adapted archival specimen at the left chest and an original artistic interpretation across the back.

THE SHIRT

Comfort Colors 1717 garment-dyed unisex tee with a relaxed fit and substantial 6.1 oz, 100% ring-spun cotton fabric. Front chest print and large back print. Available in Black, White, Ivory, Pepper, Blue Jean, Sandstone, in sizes S–4XL. Check the size chart for your preferred fit.

CARE

Machine wash cold. Do not bleach. Tumble dry low. Use low heat if ironing; avoid ironing directly over the print. Do not dry clean.

This original artwork was developed by A Breach in Taste using AI-assisted image generation, human creative direction, and human editing.

A Breach in Taste — Ideas, in Shirt Form.

Explore all eight Specimen & Issue designs and their specimen notes →