mceRHACionAL
GHINESE T>RACjON SYMBOL
rhe dragon is an old ThlS Symbol which, to WeS- counts lor very little, we
astronomical symbol fern minds Is Significant of may find the five-clawed
in China, emblematic terror, is One of benevolence draf" ^ed indiscrimi-
of the eastern quadrant of , ,L Chinese Y' * °n
the heavens and connected _^ _ an object antedating 1911
with Spring. It typifies both (j. (j LE N GO U LD we can be surc that the
Hood and rain and, because Piece rt ad°™s was made
of their power, became the sign of supreme power, for the emperor's household.
The emperor was accepted as the highest ruler on To the majority of Americans any of these
earth and therefore the dragon was considered to forms is recognizable merely as the Chinese dragon
be the only symbol but t0 the Chinese this
adequate to express his H emblem of their country
authority. Thus it be- and their fathers for
came the imperial em- - .> .\^^tS^i ffft ^ °n° hundred
blem.^ ^ ^ ""^^^^^^^^^^^^bk and ^venty g^neratIons
dragon for ^exclusive S „t ~^ jjf ^ to Iose one of the most
use of the emperor and ^ JKT ' ^Wl delightful and fascinat-
es sons, princes of the }\) &' ~~~T]ffl "lg stoncs ln the n,s"
fet and second ranks. 1^ iBfe - ' tory of mankind.
The four-clawed dragon W^MT- T& °f drag"
was used by princes of ^Jp-^^P^ on ,s found on many of
the third and fourth ggg_ J» the things which we im-
ranks and the three- _ _^ port rom China. You
clawed by the nobility. sacrificial vessel, jade, decorated with kuei will find one on your
This three clawed lung motives box of tea, there appro-
dragon later became Zn the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the WQrd
the Japanese imperial insignia. In the Chinese "oolong" is derived from long or ling, the Chinese
Productions of the present day, in which tradition for dragon. Wu ling or oolong means black dragon.
the modern form of dragon used on a chinese rug
Courtesy oj B. Altman ey Company
* u a r y 1925
three hundred one
GHINESE T>RACjON SYMBOL
rhe dragon is an old ThlS Symbol which, to WeS- counts lor very little, we
astronomical symbol fern minds Is Significant of may find the five-clawed
in China, emblematic terror, is One of benevolence draf" ^ed indiscrimi-
of the eastern quadrant of , ,L Chinese Y' * °n
the heavens and connected _^ _ an object antedating 1911
with Spring. It typifies both (j. (j LE N GO U LD we can be surc that the
Hood and rain and, because Piece rt ad°™s was made
of their power, became the sign of supreme power, for the emperor's household.
The emperor was accepted as the highest ruler on To the majority of Americans any of these
earth and therefore the dragon was considered to forms is recognizable merely as the Chinese dragon
be the only symbol but t0 the Chinese this
adequate to express his H emblem of their country
authority. Thus it be- and their fathers for
came the imperial em- - .> .\^^tS^i ffft ^ °n° hundred
blem.^ ^ ^ ""^^^^^^^^^^^^bk and ^venty g^neratIons
dragon for ^exclusive S „t ~^ jjf ^ to Iose one of the most
use of the emperor and ^ JKT ' ^Wl delightful and fascinat-
es sons, princes of the }\) &' ~~~T]ffl "lg stoncs ln the n,s"
fet and second ranks. 1^ iBfe - ' tory of mankind.
The four-clawed dragon W^MT- T& °f drag"
was used by princes of ^Jp-^^P^ on ,s found on many of
the third and fourth ggg_ J» the things which we im-
ranks and the three- _ _^ port rom China. You
clawed by the nobility. sacrificial vessel, jade, decorated with kuei will find one on your
This three clawed lung motives box of tea, there appro-
dragon later became Zn the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the WQrd
the Japanese imperial insignia. In the Chinese "oolong" is derived from long or ling, the Chinese
Productions of the present day, in which tradition for dragon. Wu ling or oolong means black dragon.
the modern form of dragon used on a chinese rug
Courtesy oj B. Altman ey Company
* u a r y 1925
three hundred one