My art homework.

7/9/2008

The green dragon = the east and spring

The dragon stands in the East, the region where the sun rises,
where there are spring showers and fertility. It is a creature not
seen in the natural world and has both a magical and spiritual
quality.

The white tiger = the west and summer

The tiger stands in the west and represents the summer season.
The tiger is a symbol of courage and bravery and is able to drive
off evil beasts and demons. Having great physical strength, it
can both defend and attack.
The red phoenix = the south and autumn
A mythical bird that never dies, the phoenix stands in the South
and represents the autumn season. It’s body represents the five
human qualities: it’s head, virtue; wings, duty; the back, ritually
correct behavior; the breast, humanity; the stomach, reliability.

The black tortoise= the north and winter

The tortoise stands in the north and represents the winter season.
With its hard shell, it projects stability and great security. The
tortoise symbolizes immutability and steadfastness and is a
highly symbolic creature in Chinese culture. The tortoise and a
snake are commonly shown together because there are no male
tortoises and it is commonly thought was that the tortoise must
have mated with snakes.
The snake = connected to all
The snake is one of the five noxious creatures and is thought of
being very clever yet can be wicked and treacherous. The snake
is coiled in the center and is protected by the four creatures.
Acting as a commander, the snake receives information from the
four creatures and is able to draw on the special qualities and
forces at its command to take wise and timely action.