Multiple Craftsmen, Nine Dragon Wall, 1773 CE, Qing Dynasty, Glazed Tiles
This wall was created by multiple artists, using glazed tiles of multiple colors. There are three "Nine Dragon Walls" left in China, and the one shown to the left is the one in Beijing. It was created using 270 tiles, and 270 was a significant number: as a mathematical multiple of 9x5 (specifically, 9x5x6), Together 9 and 5 represented the emperor's complete sovereignty.
The dragons are depicted in a lively manner, as the artists intended to show the dragons' movements. each one is playing with a pearl, and the whole scene is drawn in nature, with the ocean, the earth, and the sky together making up the background. Combined with the style that shows the dragons' flowing movements, this piece of art also represents ideals of Daoism alongside the emperor's power.
More of the emperor's absolute power can be seen through one of the dragons on the wall. The third dragon on the wall has a wooden plank on its stomach instead of the normal glazed tiles, because the tiles for that part broke when they were being fired in a furnace. The emperor had threatened to execute the craftsmen if they did not satisfy him with this artwork, and because the deadline for completion was too soon, they had a carpenter fix it up, and the replacement was not spotted by the inspector or the emperor. The Emperor's ruthlessness and unchallenged control was on full display, solidifying his reign and sovereignty.
From Bo's Dragon Lore
Made by Connor Chen