This 'Writhing Gold Chinese Dragon Canvas Art Print' sees a Gold Dragon writhing in and out of the canvas, his movements seeming to be right, through and around the artwork.
Over on the right-hand-side you can see what seems to be the smiling dragons head, which is looking up and away into the distance.
Off his back you can see a flow of green swirls from his neck, as well as a spiralling line down the middle of the canvas that feels as though the energy is being spread between the left and the right hemispheres of the artwork.
Throughout you can see exquisite flowers and plants on a red background that really serve to expand the feeling of a creature in motion.
Flowers and plants are actually a key part of Chinese art, and serve not only as a beautiful visual representation of nature, but also as symbols in their own right that are used to communicate certain key ideas.
One of the things you quickly learn about art in China, especially from the days of the Ancient Emperors, is that seldom did they put something into a work of art simply for decorative purposes. There were always hidden meanings and greater depths to the symbolism.
If we consider flowers and plants for a moment, there are recurring themes. So where a modern eye sees a piece of bamboo, someone in China would also have known that this was representative of romance, wealth, health and an increase in strength in any given situation.
Others include:
Cherry Blossoms - These were seen as a potent symbol of feminine beauty and feminine energy. They characterized rebirth, new beginnings and were seen as a sign of luck, wealth, longevity and health. They were also seen as portending good, healthy relationships and positivity.
Apple Blossom - This was another sign of long-life in Chinese art, because it was felt that it was symbolic of immortality and magic. In addition, it had positive connotations with encouraging action taking, passion for life, youth and beauty, forward momentum and courageous behaviour.
Holly - The spiky green leaves and red berries of the holly bush were thought to be symbolic of defence, the ability to forecast the future, and happiness at home.
Lotus - The Lotus has a long-tradition, particularly in Buddhist art, of being associated with enlightenment and divine purity. When pictured in a romantic context, then it was felt to be a sign of a perfect match.
Orange Blossom - This has frequently been thought to represent good luck, as well as a fruitful marriage that was filled with love. Hence its frequent appearance in artworks and clothing.
Peach Blossom - This was representative of sharing and two people coming together. It also represented being lucky in love and having a good social life.
In addition to particular flowers, there were also particular seasons that were represented.
So, for example, it was common to show bamboo for summer, flowering cherry for winter, chrysanthemum for autumn and orchid for spring.
So, what often seem to be simply floral designs (with big dragons in them!) were actually quite symbolically laced pieces of art.
