10/06/2026
The Dragon Wand 🐲
Part of Makara’s ethnic art collection, this dragon is a fine example of a “magic wand” used by shamans in the mountains of northern Vietnam. It is from a Cao Lan shaman in Tuyen Quang province, about 200 km from Hanoi.
The wand is hand-carved from wood; then lacquered in red and further decorated with silver lacquer (a thin layer of orange lacquer over silver paint, to simulate gold). In contrast to European dragons, Asian dragons are distinctly benevolent. The dragon is one of four supernatural animals in Vietnamese culture. It symbolizes the Yang - the king of a country, the seat of power. In order to create harmony in the universe, the dragon and phoenix are often combined.
The wood carving is very detailed and sophisticated; the dragon seems almost alive. In fact it’s quite abstract, merging cloud forms near the center and vegetal elements near the tail.
This wand was made in the early 20th century and has passed down through several generations of shamans. The Cao Lan shamans always use such a wand in the course of their duties. Often, it is waved over objects such as hand-written ritual books and hand-printed
“ghost money” burned as an offering to the ancestors. The shamans of the Cao Lan also use them for knocking on the altar table, to get the attention of specific benevolent spiritual powers, and to fend off evil spirits.
Makara - a bar like no other in the world.
