Joel Walker, UW Department of History
CMU 202
Dragons chasing or guarding pearls became a popular motif throughout medieval Eurasia. This presentation considers three renditions of the dragon-and-pearl motif in the art and literature of the Syriac Christian tradition. Moving from late antique Mesopotamia to Syria to the Tang Dynasty capital of Xian (Chang'an), the presentation highlights the process of adaptation and cultural blending that facilitated Christianity's spread across Eurasia.
Sponsored by the UW Classics, Medieval, and Early Modern Studies Graduate Research Cluster