The common patterns and cultural symbolism in folk ceramics The “Dragon and Phoenix Bringing Prosperity” pattern features a dragon and a phoenix. There are many legends about dragons, and numerous documents record them. However, it was Sima Qian’s Records of the Grand Historian that linked the dragon to emperors. The “Annals of Emperor Gaozu” states: “At that time, during a dark and stormy day with thunder and lightning, Emperor Gaozu’s father went to check and saw a dragon atop his wife. She later became pregnant and gave birth to Emperor Gaozu.” The phoenix was first referred to as an auspicious bird in Liu An’s Huainanzi, where the male is called Feng and the female Huang. Both dragons and phoenixes are regarded as mythical beasts and birds of good fortune in people’s hearts. Wherever a dragon appears, a phoenix is expected to follow, symbolizing peace and prosperity across the land, as well as bountiful harvests.
