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Pillar rug, China, Ningxia, 19th century. TM R51.2.1. Acquired by George Hewitt Myers in 1927. |
Dragons, Nagas, and Creatures of the Deep
February 3, 2012 through January 6, 2013
Welcoming 2012 as the East Asian calendar’s Year of the Dragon, Dragons, Nagas, and Creatures of the Deep presents a global selection of textiles depicting dragons and other fantastical creatures of legend.
Across the world and over the centuries, dragons have taken many forms, from the beneficent nagas (divine snakes) of East and Southeast Asia, to the fearsome flying beasts of Western traditions. Whether viewed as good or evil, these powerful creatures became symbols of prestige for those who were permitted to use their images to decorate clothes and furnishings.
Drawn entirely from the museum’s collection, the textiles in this exhibition illuminate imaginative images of mythical creatures as diverse as the peoples who created them.
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