The Ming Dragon is one of the great icons of Meissen decorative art. It is based on China's imperial dragon, the "Long", and was immortalized on countless porcelains, jewelry and buildings during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). In China, the mythical creature is one of the four lucky wonder animals alongside the unicorn, the phoenix and the tortoise. Inspired by the Chinese model, porcelain artist Zhuoyu Hou transformed the Meissen dragon into a cheerful, truly imperial lucky dragon. Here it is enthroned as a knob on the lidded box, in the midst of an enchanting Meissen Indian floral world of five white chrysanthemums on a bright red background. The large flowers continue on the bowl, their delicate red petals spread airily across the surface. The decoration is based on a Chinese model from the so-called "Jingdezhen" period (1662-1722). This is a kind of negative painting, as the white flowers are left out of the red surface. Whatever the little dragon inside the box is protecting is up to you.