After thousands of years of development,
China was primarily self-sufficient and did not need or want
Western influence to change its practices. Called the Dragon
Empire by early traders, dragons held a very important position
in Chinese mythology, as well as in the arts, literature, poetry,
architecture, and music. By adopting the five-clawed dragon
as their symbol, emperors became responsible to heaven for harmony
on earth.
Perhaps the West's only contribution to ancient Chinese history
was its name. Qin Shihuangd unified the empire in 221 B.C.
and founded the Ch'in Dynasty (now spelled Qin Dynasty) which
gave China its name in the Western languages for all the dynasties
to come. It was also nicknamed the Dragon Empire.
Nine varieties of dragons had personalities ranging from
quarrelsome to literary. They generally had a kindly if not
mischevious nature - they could disappear at will - but if
dragons were provoked they would transform into an awesome
beast!
The five-clawed "lung" dragon was the life-giving
symbol of rain, wisdom and divine power. Visually, the imperial
dragon was a composite of parts from nine animals: the horns
of a deer, the head of a camel, the eyes of a devil, the neck
of a snake, the abdomen of a large shellfish, the scales of
a carp, the claws of an eagle, the paws of a tiger, and the
ears of an ox. Their wide, flat face sported whiskers, and
flames sparked outward from their shoulder joints while a
flaming pearl was tossed between their claws.
The official status of court officials was indicated by the
color and symbolic decoration on their imperial dragon robes.
Yellow silk was worn only by the emperor, empress, or empress
dowager. Only those who attended and served at court could
wear one of blue silk. Fewer than five toes on a dragon indicated
a lower ranking official.
Click on any image for an enlarged view
click on the photo for more information on this dragon
robe |
click on the photo for more information on this dragon
robe |
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