Divine Power - The Dragon in Chinese Art Art Museum, Chinese University of Hong Kong
For centuries in China, the dragon has been a symbol of authority that was fit, literally, only for emperors. During the Qing dynasty, for instance, anyone found wearing garments that bore motifs of dragons with five claws (the three-clawed variety was reserved for princes) would be beheaded.
Such is the significance, and power, of the dragon in Chinese culture. In fung shui, the giant mythical creature is one of the four 'celestial animals' (others being the turtle, tiger and phoenix) that protect a house; the dragon stands guard in the East. Chinese have always regarded themselves as offspring of the dragon.
As we enter the Year of the Dragon tomorrow, the Art Museum at the Chinese University of Hong Kong will be holding a large-scale exhibition that looks at the ubiquitous presence of dragons in Chinese art and history. Divine Power - The Dragon in Chinese Art will also mark the museum's 40th anniversary.
Borrowed from members of the Oriental Ceramic Society of Hong Kong as well as public and private collections, the pieces showcase 200 works dating from the Neolithic period to the 20th century, covering ceramics, bronze, gold and silverware, jade, glass, lacquer ware, paintings and textiles.
'The dragon holds a very high place in Chinese art, as you can find it featured in a wide range of mediums. Everyone likes to look at these objects,' says Art Museum director Peter Lam Yip-keung.
