双龙戏珠 After the Pearl by Yeoh Wee Hwee

Cellulose Tape, Framed.

23 x 18 cm

2022

This is of a Ding (鼎) vessel. Ding are prehistoric and ancient Chinese cauldrons, standing upon legs with a lid and two facing handles. They are one of the most important shapes used in Chinese ritual bronzes. A Ding is ofen used as an implicit symbolism for power and noblity.

In After the Pearl, there are two dragons in the centre of the vessel and both are going for the pearl. This is after the chinese idiom 双龙戏珠 (Shuang Long Xi Zhu). During the days of the Imperial China, the Emperor of China usually used the dragon as a symbol of his imperial strength and power. In the Chinese culture, the Chinese dragon is a spiritual and cultural symbol that represents strength, prosperity, and good luck, as well as a rain deity that fosters harmony.

This work symbolises the desire for a prosperous, beautiful, and dignified life.