Material Object

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This is a rectangular painting made using opaque watercolor, ink, silver, and gold on paper.

Seeing this for the first time, we can infer that this painting illustrates a battle against a dragon. Some striking details we can observe in this painting are the pattern around the painting, the signature in the bottom left corner, and the supplementary text, which presumably describes the story of the battle. In addition, this painting contributes to our understanding of what a dragon is by providing an illustration of its appearance; it is portrayed as a large four-legged creature with a serpent-like body and sharp fangs. The dragon is seen in a menacing pose, with its mouth open in a fierce roar. Another minor detail is that the dragon also has a small beard. The person facing off against the dragon appears to be of royal status as we can see that they are on a chariot with a small golden housing being pulled by horses that have expensive-looking armor. Additionally, the individuals near the top of the painting appear to be supporting soldiers.

The title of the painting suggests that the purpose of this painting is to illustrate a snapshot of Prince Isfandiyar battling against a dragon in the Shahnameh, moments before slaying the dragon. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this painting was approximately created in 1530 and it is attributed to Qasim ibn ‘Ali. One thing to note is that while people may typically associate modern-day dragons with having wings, the dragon illustrated in this painting does not have any. Therefore it could be that this depiction of a dragon is based on a cultural interpretation of what constitutes a dragon, specifically dragons from Iran, as both of these authors are Iranian. The fact that the dragon has a serpent-like body also suggests that dragons are related to serpents / snakes in some way.

This stone sculpture was made in 1475, in France. It is made from limestone, and has traces of paint. This object displays what seems to be an angel who has had its wings and arm ripped off, standing victorious over a small dragon it has battled against. The head of the angel is adorned with a crown and the angel’s body is showcased with some scratches and dents. Based on this, we could conclude that despite its size, the dragon is extremely powerful. The purpose of this object is that it showcases the archangel of Heaven, Saint Michael, fighting the devil under the disguise of a dragon. The dragon is seen wrapping its tail around the angel's legs, as if it were a snake squeezing its prey. The details in the sculpture that showcase the dragon having gilded scales and a curled tail is used to emphasize the dragon’s ferocity and strength. The fact that the devil chose to disguise himself as a dragon suggests that dragons can serve as a powerful symbol of evil. The main takeaway from this sculpture is that it enforces the traditional view of a dragon being a fierce and powerful monster that must be defeated by a hero in order for good to prevail.

This piece was made in 1498. Something that sets this artifact apart from the other ones that have been introduced so far is that there are no colorful elements involved. Instead, detailed shading is used to provide depth and character to the elements shown on the artifact. We see what seems to be angels battling against a dragon with multiple heads above a mountainous landscape. This artifact shows an interesting representation of a dragon’s strength: As the title suggests, the artifact showcases Saint Michael and his angels battling against a dragon. This supports the idea that dragons can be powerful forces whose strength is not to be taken lightly. Ultimately, the artifact showcases that despite its strength, dragons are able to be overcome by those with strength, courage, and faith.