Worldwide dragon mythology is rich and fascinating. Dragons are seen as divine, wise beings in many cultures and generally symbolize luck, power and prosperity. While dragons were originally seen as monsters in Western mythology and associated with chaos, in East Asia they are seen as positive beings. Chinese dragons, which represent imperial power, have snake-like bodies, scale-covered skin and often five claws. Japanese dragons, ryu, are celestial creatures associated with water and often have serpent-like forms, horns and beard-like protrusions. Asian dragon mythology combines spirituality, closeness to nature and protection, and these mystical creatures remain important cultural symbols that influence art, literature and festivals throughout the region.

The history of MEISSEN is closely linked to Asian culture. As the first porcelain manufactory in Europe, we have been strongly influenced and inspired by designs and techniques from the region where porcelain originated. Elector of Saxony and founder of the manufactory, Augustus the Strong, was a passionate porcelain lover and collector. He had numerous magnificent pieces shipped to him from Asia. He made many of these pieces temporarily available to the manufactory's artists so that they could familiarize themselves with the design and porcelain painting and incorporate it into their work. This is how the "Oriental" Painting were once created, the name of which can be traced back to the "Dutch East India Company", which transported the valuable pieces to the Elector's homeland.

The "Red Dragon", known today as the "Red Court Dragon" or "Ornate Dragon", was one of the early Oriental Paintings around 1730. The inspiration was found in Japanese porcelain, enriched with numerous symbols of East Asian culture and initially applied to tableware. While the first version with the iron-red dragon and golden details was intended exclusively for the Saxon court, different colored versions of the decoration in black, blue, yellow, green, purple and violet were also produced for the public from 1858 onwards. It was only with the shifts in political power around 1918 that this exclusivity was completely lifted and the decoration was made available to all lovers of Meissen craftsmanship in the iconic red.