There are many theories on the origin of the dragon myth, ranging from our primitive ancestors' attempts to explain dinosaur fossils to an amalgam of our earliest natural predators (serpents, raptors, and big cats). Although capable of flight, Asian (Chinese) dragons are primarily associated with water (their serpentine form flowing like rivers and seas). While the description of the Chinese dragon is fairly consistent across sources, their depictions vary considerably depending on the country, era, artist, and genre. There is even meaning behind the number of claws they have per each foot. Ancient dragon symbols have been discovered that date as far back as 6000 BC, but I decided to base my design on one of the earliest "modern" representations available, a 13th century masterpiece handscroll painting by Chen Rong: "Nine Dragons." I kept the morphology consistent with Chen Rong's dragons except the tail. The dragon's pose was stylistically inspired by Jack Kirby. As always, thanks to the Ceramic Art Studio and Shop.

Bisque fired

Wet clay model

Work in progress

Concept sketch