Tile panel with dragon

Title

Year/Period

1960s

Region

Found in Singapore

Object Type

tiles (object genre)

Material

ceramic (material), paint (coating)

Technique

pottery techniques, painting (image-making)

Dimension

Object size: 38.0 x 64.0 x 16.0 cm

Accession No.

2021-00117

Collection of

Asian Civilisations Museum

Several graves at Bukit Brown Cemetery were decorated with painted ceramic tiles featuring either idyllic scenes of foreign landscapes or mythical creatures. Some graves featured a combination of both types of imagery. This manner of decorating the tomb arms of a grave was popular in the 1960s. This panel features the dragon, arguably the most popular mythical beast in Chinese culture as it was a symbol of masculine energy and power. The dragon was paired with another auspicious creature, the qilin, in the ornamentation of this grave.