Royal Selangor’s brand-new Divine Zodiac collection features master sculptor, Xu Xiao Yong's interpretation of the divine essence and symbolism inherent in the animals of the Oriental zodiac. The Taiji Dragon Figurine, the first in the collection, features the dragon, in honour of 2024’s Year of the Dragon. The figurine, embodying the powerful traits associated with the dragon in Chinese culture, represents power, nobility, honour, fortune, and success.

In this creation, the anthropomorphic zodiac dragon dons traditional Chinese attire, engaging in the graceful art of Taiji or Tai Chi. Taiji, a concept from ancient Chinese philosophy, symbolises the origin of the world and the cyclical nature of transformation and rebirth.

The dragon stands on the giant turtle Bu Tian, the Sky Patching Turtle, one of the twelve legendary turtles in ancient times. The legend of Bu Tian, also known as the Sky-Patching Turtle, tells the tale of how Gong Gong, who in a fit of anger bumped his head against Mount Bu Zhou, one of the pillars supporting the sky.

With the sky in danger of collapsing, the Goddess Nu Wa, out of compassion for all sentient beings, used the turtle’s limbs as a replacement for the broken pillars and mend the holes in the sky. The turtle’s act of sacrificing its limbs for the common good resulted in it being known as the Sky-Patching Turtle.

The Taiji Dragon demonstrates how movement controls stillness, and Bu Tien, the sky-patching Turtle, represents how stillness overcomes movement. Together, the figurine encapsulates the unity of nature and man, the integration of yin and yang, and the fostering of a multicultural outlook.