A Gallery Guide to Dragons

Snuff bottle with dragons - China - Qing dynasty, approx. 1800-1900 - Glass; white with blue overlay

Snuff bottle with dragons, Qing dynasty, approx. 1800-1900.

Lunar New Year will be celebrated on Monday, January 23 this year. It is the Year of the Black Water Dragon, which many people believe will bring good fortune and prosperity. Dragons are considered good luck because they symbolize fertility and bring rain – given the weather we’re experiencing in San Francisco today it looks like the dragon has arrived a little early.

In Chinese tradition the dragon is an ancient symbol of rank and power and emperors wore dragons on their robes. Dragons with five claws represent the Emperor, and dragons with fewer claws represent other members of the royal family.

We have a lot of Chinese dragons here at the museum, so we’ve highlighted a few you can visit this weekend in anticipation of the Year of the Dragon. The snuff bottle above and the two pieces below are in our China galleries.

Rug - China | Ningxia - Qing dynasty, approx. 1700-1800 – Wool

This glorious rug is from Qing dynasty China, approx. 1700-1800.

Bottle with dragon and phoenix - China | Jingdezhen | Jiangxi province - Ming dynasty (1368- 1644), Reign of the Wanli Emperor (1573-1619) - Porcelain with underglaze cobalt decoration

Detail from bottle with a dragon and a phoenix; Ming dynasty.

There are more Chinese dragons to be found in the Loggia at the top of the grand staircase. Here’s one you can look out for:

Jar with dragons amid clouds - China | Jingdezhen | Jiangxi province - Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Reign of the Jiajing Emperor (1522-1566) - Porcelain with overglaze multicolor decoration.

Jar with dragons amid clouds, Ming dynasty. From the Avery Brundage collection.

There are many more dragons, large and small, in the museum’s collection. Tell us about your favorite in the comments!

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 Responses to “A Gallery Guide to Dragons”

  1. Nancy  on January 21st, 2012 at 1:50 pm

    I think my current favorite is Zhang Daqian’s”Deity trees,” although it really is impossible to chose just one.

  2. janet  on January 24th, 2012 at 5:25 pm

    Thanks Nancy – that’s great, and not one I would have immediately associated with dragons. In case folks can’t come to see it in person, here is the painting Nancy mentions.


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