Paris Guimet Museum - Day Of The dragon

In Vietnam the dragon occupies a special position within an imaginary bestiary. This fascinating chimera provides a lively representation of its role as kindly protector; for centuries, Vietnamese artists have represented the meanders of its silhouette. Shaped like a snake, the dragon belongs to an aquatic world where it is both guardian and provider. Able to influence drought and flooding, it is equally at ease in a subterranean milieu, in water and in the skies. Focusing on images of the dragon, the exhibition covers a thousand years of history, from the Bronze Age to the twilight years of the last royal dynasty, through a new selection of works from the National Museum of Vietnamese History in Hanoi and the Musée national des arts asiatiques ― Guimet. The presentation leads the visitor through the developments of an iconography that was frequently associated with royalty and its prestige.