Coiled Dragon 2

Tolkien painted this dragon at the same time as his Silmarillion paintings, in 1927-8, and years later showed a slide of it at a lecture about dragons, that he gave for children at the University Museum in Oxford. He said, "Here is a nice little worm in an early stage of growth, a newly hatched dragonet, which was pretty, as young things so often are."

His original drawing also had two "flowers" in it, and the old English quote from Beowulf, hringhbogan heorte gefysed, which Tolkien himself translated as "the heart of the coiling beast was stirred ".

For us this is the most perfectly balanced and fantastic dragon design ever, though it may not be very realistic or even probable. Its colours and details are a feast for the eye.

It is carved into a vintage little oak door, with its companion flowers above it, and carefully handpainted in acrylics and metallic paints. The piece is set with eight tiger eye cabochons of various sizes, from 8 to 20 mm.

Carnauba wax and metallic wax finish.

A bold and elegant statement piece that invites closer inspection. 

Size of while piece, 65x47cm

Dragon carving, 25x23 cm