In Oriental myth, the dragon could not be more opposite to its Western counterpart. Dragons in Oriental art do not have WINGS nor do they necessarily breathe fire, although FLAMES erupt from their limbs. They are not creatures of EARTH, but rather combine elements of the air and WATER and are equally at home in the OCEAN or the CLOUDS. Al- though strength and power are represented, the dragon above all is a reconciliation of opposites, a combination of YIN AND YANG. Also unlike the Western dragon, the Oriental dragon is not a cunningly malevolent beast. Instead it is strength combined with wisdom and is benevolent. It is also not unusual to see a dragon clutching a BALL. a PEARL, or a jewel in one of its claws. This item is essentially the closed-lotus form seen in various Buddhist designs including those in temples and on grave markers. It represents the spiritual essence of the universe, by which the dragon controls the winds, rains, and even the movement of the planets, and he protects it from those who might usurp those powers. Like other Japanese tattoos, the choice of a dragon is an aspiration to these same qualities of wholeness and wisdom. It is one of the more popular of Japanese-style tattoos and they are depicted with great variety in terms of body position, degree of hostility in aggressive or passive position of the claws and jaws, and in their environment. Tattoo Arts www.tattoobody.org

thanks for info, Alex!

In the west, dragon is a greedy, fire-breathing, cave-dwelling and fear-inspiring creature that jealously guards its hoard of gold. In the east, however, Eastern dragons are portrayed as good, kind, and intelligent. Eastern Dragons have the most recorded history in the world, especially in China going back thousands of years.

The eastern dragon is one of the most popular mythological creatures picked for inking and a classic choice for a tattoo design. It is usually depicted as a wingless, heavily-scaled snake-like creature with small clawed legs and a horned or antlered camel head, and is associated with sea, clouds or the heavens.

Please Click the link below to view Amazing
dragon tattoos at www.dragontattoosart.com
this website has coolest
dragon tattoo pictures
and
dragon tattoo designs

Very big and beautiful tattoo!