Painting description
- Material: Oil painting
- Size: 80 cm x 120 cm
- Creation year: 2024
Long Ma, also known as "horse turning into dragon", is a symbol of Nguyen Dynasty architecture. The transformation from horse to Long Ma is a step in the process of aesthetic perception associated with philosophical concepts.
The dragon horse is the reincarnation of the unicorn and is a combination of dragon, unicorn and horse. “The dragon horse is a mascot with the horns and mane of a dragon, the body of a musk deer, the tail of an ox, the forehead of a wolf, the scaly body of a unicorn, and the legs and hooves of a horse.”
Long Ma has been "defaulted" as an indispensable part of Hue architecture and decoration, appearing most often on screens, its back carrying the Ha Do, its feet surfing on water waves, its head reaching to the clouds. .
Through the image of the dragon horse, people understand that: Dragons are often high up, symbolizing things that are noble, strong, flexible, belonging to Yang, symbolizing time.
Horse is a horse, a very useful object in the human world, moving quickly on the ground in a straight horizontal line, carrying heavy loads, having endurance, having good spirit, symbolizing latitude and space.
The dragon horse symbolizes manhood, time and space. The running dragon horse symbolizes the movement of the universe and also symbolizes the saint. Perhaps, because of that meaning, Long Ma is often represented in tombs.
Long Ma is considered by Confucianism as a decorative image expressing the desire for peace, happiness and development. It coexists alongside the decorative patterns of Taoism and Buddhism. Long Ma was entrusted with the dream of a peaceful and prosperous life.