An intact press-hand cup housed by the Palace Museum. [Photo provided to China Daily]

As the exhibition reveals, the artistic styles of the dragon motifs on the porcelain also continued evolving throughout three dynasties and thus offer key references to study the bigger picture of social changes.

After all, artisans in Jingdezhen couldn't decide what to make. That was the sole purview of the emperor.

For instance, Wang points out, early Ming dragons look strong and solemn to portray a sense of tension, echoing the diligent emperors' ambitions to consolidate the dynasty's rule.

However, when the Ming Dynasty entered its middle period in the later part of the 15th century, after the empire had experienced several major setbacks-an emperor even became a prisoner of war-the dragons also became "gentle and subtly beautiful", Wang says.

"The dragons' eyes protrude as if they were wearing glasses," he says.