The Year of the Snake in the Chinese Zodiac runs from January 29, 2025 to February 16, 2026. The ancient lunar calendar dates back over 2,000 years and is based on a 12-year cycle, with each year represented by an animal from Chinese mythology. The Snake Year is sometimes called Little Dragon Year, highlighting their close relationship. Look for all the snakes and dragons at WMODA on your next visit.

People born in the Year of the Snake are rational, calm and thoughtful by nature. They are eloquent, tenacious, resourceful and loyal to their loved ones. The Years of the Snake include 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 and 2025. In Chinese culture, the snake is an enigmatic symbol of wisdom and the sixth sign of the zodiac. The order of the animals in the zodiac cycle was determined by a race to cross a vast river. The snake was not a good swimmer, so it secretly coiled itself around the horse’s hoof. When the horse was about to cross the finish line, the snake jumped out and scared the horse, winning sixth place in the race.  A Royal Doulton Art Deco vase in the WMODA collection symbolizes this zodiac race.

According to legend, Fuxi, the Descendant of the Dragon, and Nuwa, the Descendant of the Snake, were the father and mother of the Chinese people. They have the bodies of snakes with human heads and ancient tomb paintings depict their tails entwined. As the Mother Goddess of Creation, Nuwa made the first humans one at a time with clay and watched them come to life. Initially, she used yellow clay to handcraft the nobles of society. The process proved too time-consuming, so she dragged string across regular clay to mass-produce humanity. Nobles believed they were more important than the majority because they had been directly touched by Nuwa’s hand.

In creation mythology, Nuwa was also the goddess of nature, fertility, order and marriage.  In the solar calendar, Nuwa’s birthday was January 7 and it is still celebrated today as Human Day in Japan. She is part human and part reptile because snakes are connected with fertility. Snakes are sometimes called “little dragons” and are considered spiritual creatures. After 500 years, a snake can grow legs to become a jiao, a type of water dragon, and then after another 500 years, it will grow horns. A thousand years later, it will become a divine dragon.

Snakes and dragons were favorite subjects of Daisy Makeig-Jones who designed Wedgwood’s Fairyland Lustre ware. Her fabulous Torches design features a long snake coiling around a tree in a fantasy garden ornamented with Chinese lanterns and pagodas. The sinuous snake was a popular image during the Art Nouveau era which favored undulating lines inspired by nature. The striking snake vase in the Dragon’s Den at WMODA was created by Clement Massier, the French artist potter. He produced luster glazes in his factory in Golfe-Juan in the late 1800s and won a gold medal at the Paris Exhibition in 1900. William De Morgan also specialized in reviving ancient luster glazes and snakes inspired by exotic Eastern designs often featured in his work.

Snakes attacking peacocks were a recurring motif in Royal Doulton Sung wares derived from Chinese rouge flambé glazes. In the 1990s, when Royal Doulton was creating new designs for the flambé collection, their artists experimented with a tableau of a mongoose fighting with a snake, but it did not go into production.

Have fun looking for snakes and dragons in the WMODA scavenger hunt on your next visit!

Learn more in the Wedgwood Fairyland Lustre book by Una des Fontaines.

Here Be Dragons! | Wiener Museum

Read more about serpentine ceramics, snake charmers and dancers at WMODA.

Serpentine Ceramics | Wiener Museum