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The dragon in China is an auspicious emblem of nature’s creative forces and is often visualized in art as a composite creature. This sleek example, with its elongated neck, flared nostrils, and gaping mouth, may have been inspired by the heavenly horses thought to dwell in Central Asia.
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漢 鎏金銅龍頭飾
Title: Finial in the shape of a dragon head
Period: Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE)
Date: 1st century BCE–2nd century CE
Culture: China
Medium: Gilt bronze with traces of red pigment
Dimensions: H. 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm); W. 2 in. (5.1 cm); L. 5 3/4 in. (14.6 cm)
Classification: Metalwork
Credit Line: Charlotte C. and John C. Weber Collection, Gift of Charlotte C. and John C. Weber, 1992
Object Number: 1992.165.25
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