The Book of the Dragon

"The dragon drifts his way through the art and mythology of the ancient and modern worlds like a recurring dream. And dreamlike, his forms and attributes change, from East to West and from age to age. He doesn't exist, and yet he features in ancient cosmology and western medieval romance; the alchemists used him as a symbol; early travellers insisted that they saw him and drew his images on maps; and psychologists analysed his impact on the human mind. He has been drawn, painted, carved, written about, hunted, slain, prayed to and sacrificed to and offered gifts and abuse in equal measure for centuries. The 140 illustrations range from a Ch'ing dynasty robe to Piero della Francesca's Saint Michael"--author's website.