Year of the Dragon: Mystical Creatures of the Sky at the Minneapolis Institute of Art + Interview with Dr. Liu Yang, Chair of Asian Art & Curator of Chinese Art
Year of the Dragon
Mystical Creatures of the Sky
February 10, 2024 — May 5, 2024
From the dragon’s first appearance in art some eight to nine thousand years ago, during the early Neolithic period, these ferocious beasts have occupied an honored place in Chinese culture. Their majestic power has inspired art in nearly every medium—jade to bronze, ceramics to paintings. Originating in mythology as scaly water beasts who controlled the rain and wind, they have evolved in form and symbolism, taking to the skies to become the auspicious creatures we know today: four-legged, horned, snakelike beings who breathe clouds (not fire) and represent not only heavenly power and prosperity but Chinese culture itself.
To celebrate the Year of the Dragon in the lunar calendar, this exhibition features objects from Mia’s own Chinese art collection that represent the evolution of dragon imagery and symbolism, from the ancient world to today.
In Conversation with Dr. Liu Yang
Chair of Asian Art & Curator of Chinese Art
Dr. Liu Yang, Chair of Asian Art & Curator of Chinese Art at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Image courtesy of subject.
Throughout the long history of representation in China, what attributes are and have been associated with the dragon as a symbol of power and prestige?
The Chinese dragon originated in the Neolithic period, in stylized depictions of natural creatures that evolved into mythical animals during the Bronze Age of the first millennium BCE. Perceived as a powerful serpentine reptile with talismanic and totemic powers, these sinuous and graceful forms of dragons were carved into jade or cast onto ritual bronze vessels in three-dimensional forms or coiled shapes, creating stylized geometric patterns. Their presence on ritual objects suggests their ceremonial status in early belief systems.
The popular cults in China were, for the most part, incorporated into organized Daoism, and many popular divinities—including the Dragon King, a god of water and weather—were absorbed into the hierarchy of the Daoist pantheon. Dragons help communicate between the realms of heaven and earth and are often depicted in paintings as the steeds for immortals. When Buddhism spread throughout China, its visual language was adapted to suit Chinese culture. Naga, a snake-like mythical creature that originated in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain traditions, was intermingled with Chinese dragon forms and served as a guardian in Buddhist art, often shown holding a Chintamani jewel.
Ever since the Han dynasty emperor Liu Bang (r. 202–195 BCE) claimed to have been conceived when his mother encountered a dragon, the formidable creature gradually began to be associated with rulers and used as a symbol to represent imperial power. Every emperor referred to himself as the "heavenly son of the real dragon," and the beast's image was used to decorate palaces, imperial furniture, clothes, and daily utensils. During the late Qing dynasty in the 1800s, the dragon was even incorporated into the national flag.
In Chinese astrological terms, what qualities are believed to attend to dragon years?
Since ancient times, Chinese dragons have been strongly associated in popular belief with life-giving rain and weather. They are believed to be the rulers of moving bodies of water, such as storms, seas, and river waves. The Dragon King known as Longwang is the dispenser of rain as well as the zoomorphic representation of the masculine yang power of generation. This association with water and weather links the dragon to agriculture and, by extension, prosperity and abundance.
During the late Bronze Age, in the late first millennia BCE, the Azure Dragon emerged as the primary figure among four celestial deities. It is regarded as the guardian of the East, along with the White Tiger in the West, the Vermilion Bird in the South, and the Black Tortoise (a tortoise intertwined with a snake) in the North. Each of the creatures is closely associated with an asterism, or grouping of stars (the dragon symbolizes the eastern asterism of constellations), as well as a cardinal direction, a color, and other aspects of the universe, including a season of the year. The dragon was thought to possess the power to control the sky, and therefore was commonly depicted as airborne, sometimes among clouds.
The dragon is the primary creature of the twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac, which is used to designate years in the lunar calendar. In order, these animals are: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. People came to believe that their character and destiny were related to the animal associated with the year of their birth. The grouping emerged in literature as early as the 3rd century BCE, with the earliest known set dating to the 5th century BCE. At first, the animals were either in naturalistic forms, or hybrids depicted as robed human bodies with animal heads. Later, another form emerged in the early 6th century, though rare, in which each animal appears as a miniature sculpture on the hat of a court official.
You have selected a number of extraordinary artworks from the Minneapolis Institute of Art's collection for this show. Please explain the significance, characteristics, and functions of the following four objects:
China, late Eastern Zhou dynasty (770-256 BCE)
Pendant in the form of a dragon, 5th-3rd century BCE
Mottled pale yellow jade with brown markings
During the Eastern Zhou period, jade dragons were highly stylized, with a focus on fluidity, symmetry, and balance. This example highlights an innovation in Eastern Zhou decorative techniques, as one end of the dragon's body is carved in the same curved shape as the other. It is decorated with the so-called "grain pattern," composed of spiral shapes in relief. These spirals reference the shape of sprouting grains, a symbol of fertility and good harvest. This was a common decorative element in dragon ornaments of this time and the succeeding Han dynasty.
China, Warring States period (475-221 BCE)
Pair of winged dragons, 5th-4th century BCE
Bronze
The agile, curved bodies and long, vertical necks of these ornamental dragons give them a sculptural, dynamic quality. The comma-shaped tails, curling tendrils, and chevron patterns on their mustaches are typical elements of dragon depictions from the Warring States period. The objects would have been attached to a vessel, serving as a kind of stand, so the reverse side of each body has two holes and less decoration; it has been left almost plain since it would have been unseen.
China, Eastern Han dynasty (25-220)
Belt buckle, 1st-2nd century
Gold, turquoise, and agate
This buckle is decorated in relief with a winged dragon, a motif that was emblematic of the court during the Han dynasty. It is set with cabochons of turquoise and agate. Turquoise had been used throughout the Bronze Age for decorative inlay in metal. While perhaps not in classic Han court taste, this luxurious buckle is exactly the type of object that would have impressed rulers of remote provinces.
The dragon here is still Chinese, but the decoration and design reflect Eurasian influences, from the inlaid precious stones in oval shapes to the dots puncturing the metal to the shape of the buckle itself, which is derived from the Eurasian grasslands nomadic culture.
The array of objects chosen for your exhibition reveals the arc of historical significance for the dragon. What does the dragon and the year of the dragon mean to you?
As an art historian, I am interested in all twelve zodiac figures, not only dragons. While the dragon is very significant to many Chinese people; but to me, all twelve zodiac figures are important. However, it is an animal that is especially imbued with many layers of historical, mythological, and religious meanings. It has played such an important role in Chinese culture and perhaps has had a richer, more complicated history than others. This makes an art historian like myself excited about an opportunity to explore those meanings and to share them with others. Personally, I am excited about the coming year because I have the opportunity to present this significant show that explores the multiplicity and complicated symbolism associated with dragons. The animal's layers of meaning have accumulated over thousands of years of Chinese history, and the ability to explore those meanings and symbolism and share them with our museum's visitors is something very valuable to me.
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Exhibition Preview
Art of the Ancestors extends a special thank you to Dr. Liu Yang and Molly Lax.