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The
Dragon in Chinese Art
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Price: $ 49.95
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To
most Westerners the dragon is a fearsome animal, a mythical
beast that breathes fire, lays waste to the countryside,
devours the populace, and kidnaps fair maidens.
But
to the Chinese, the dragon is an auspicious animal that
regulates rainfall and thus controls the yield of the
land. Indeed, the dragon is divine, the manifestation
of Heaven's will and symbol of the Emperor,the Son of
Heaven.
REVIEW
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Introduction
This section summarizes for the user the dragon's role in
Chinese art and society beginning with its origins in ancient
folk belief.
Several
key qualities of the Chinese dragon, its auspicious quality,
its association with water, and its miraculous power of transformation
are discussed, in order to explain why dragons of various
types eventually appear everywhere in Chinese culture. Special
attention is given to the dragon's association with the emperor
and its position both in the Chinese landscape and the Chinese
calendar.
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 Antiquities
This section comprises a total of 126 dragon-decor exhibits
ranging from the Neolithic Age to the middle / late Qing Dynasty.
Every exhibit is illustrated and carries a simple yet vivid
explanation.
Each picture can be enlarged beyond full-screen size, and by
moving the cursor to any edge of the screen the picture will
automatically scroll sideways or up and down for full appreciation
of every detail.
Selected exhibits also include a video clip permitting the user
to view them from any chosen angle. |
 Dragon
Types
This section introduces ten categories of dragon types based
on the different shapes and poses of the dragons used in the
decorative designs of the antiquities.
Separate paragraphs are devoted to the evolution of each type
of dragon design, its period of greatest popularity, and an
account of how it was used in practice. |
 Chronology
This section highlights 14 chronological periods relevant to
the date of the various antiquities shown.
In addition to ranging antiquities of different periods in chronological
order, it also focuses on the distinguishing characteristics
of dragon designs of each period, thus giving the user an insight
into how styles changed over time. |
