February 10, 2024, marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year, the Year of the Dragon, the most celebrated animal in Chinese culture. This exhibition assembles a remarkable selection of more than twenty works from the Museum’s permanent collection that depict this imaginary animal in various media, including ceramic, jade, lacquer, metalwork, and textile. Together they illustrate the significant role that the dragon plays as a symbol of imperial authority, a dynamic force to dispel evil influences, and a benevolent deity that brings auspicious rain to all life on earth. Most notable are a third-century BCE jade pendant of a spirited dragon with a sinuous body, a recent acquisition of a seventh-century bronze mirror with symbols of the four cardinal directions, and a massive sixteenth-century jar of blue and white porcelain with vigorous dragons writhing through clouds and waves.
The exhibition is made possible by the Joseph Hotung Fund.
