Gilt-bronze Dragon
Six Dynasties - early Tang dynasty, 6th - 7th century
This striding gilded bronze dragon is superbly modelled with a finely cast head held high and an elegant, sinuous body. The dragon in China is a highly auspicious creature, traditionally associated with the bringing of rain, and therefore also life and fertility. The dragon was the symbol of the emperor, the son of heaven and one of the animals of the cardinal directions.
Length: 13.5cm
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