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Thank you for deciding to view the slide show. Hope you enjoy the dragons. I certainly do.
Welcome to Dragon Dreams Museum and Gift Shop. Do you get the idea that there might be dragons lurking about?
Dragon Dreams is the brain-child of Barbara Newton. It developed when her dragon collection began to get crowded in the house and the dragons got lonely. Dragons are meant to be seen and shared.
This is the Dragon Dreams logo designed by Allida Saxon. We feel that this "dragon with an attitude" reflects the nature of many of our dragons. After all, how would you feel if you had been as persecuted as the poor dragon has been?
From this humble exterior, you enter into the wonderful world of Dragon Dreams.
So come on. Let's go in.....
Upon entering the building, you will be asked to sign the guest book. We like to know where you are from and how you heard about us. Also if you have any special interests
and if you are just going to the gift shop or planning to tour the museum. Let's head into the museum. There will be plenty of time for shopping later.
The first room is the Fantasy Room. Here we have dragons that look familiar to many of our visitors since fantasy dragons are very popular.
This rotating and lit showcase is a great way to display the glass, pewter and lead figures. Here you will find our Baccarat crystal dragon, otherwise known as "The Clear" dragon. The larger pewter is an artist's proof "Dragon Tales" by James Lane Casey.
Individual pieces such as this glass dragon hand-made by a glass blower in Bermuda are housed in the nine showcases in this room.
This lithograph of "The Legend" by Shun Kikima and commissioned by L. Ron Hubbard makes a great backdrop for this fabulous piece of Hudson pewter.
You will notice that there are not a lot of dragons getting killed here. I feel that these two are pretty equally matched. Who do you think will win?
This is my favorite piece of pewter. I think the workmanship on it is incredible. Notice details like the green dragon scales on the warrior's shield.
This is a Land of Legends piece designed for Lilliput Lane by Hap Henriksen. This is my favorite of his pieces. No, take that back. His green dragon, Histra Rex, in the Wizards and Dragons series for Flambro Collectible World Studios takes the prize.
On we go to the Blue and White Room. I don't have many picture from here because the fronts of the cases reflect a lot. If you view the section on "before Dragon Dreams" you will see more of these pieces.
Blue and White pieces that are now in the Blue and White Room. When these pictures were made, these pieces were in my living room.
This is the collar from the Chinese ceremonial gown that hangs in the office next door. Only had room for the collar here. The mask was made by a lady in north Georgia. Lots of blue and white pieces live here.
On to the Fun Room. It's full of the whimsical, the playful, the cute, the dragons of childhood. Plus our ugliest dragon lives here, as does the dragon pooper scooper and hundreds more.
Here's an example of a large fun dragon made in Uruguay.
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An area in the New Hall is set aside as the Food Area. Dragons like to eat and drink. Here we have Dragon Stout Beer and Tension Tamer Tea and cake and cookies and hot sauce. All things dragons like.
Even dragons can suffer when they get into the hot peppers. Look what happened to this poor little guy.
But a cold beer can cool down even a HOT dragon and this one from Mexico knows where to go to quinch his thirst.
Now they are really getting WILD. I never know what these dragons are doing at night. They get out of their cabinets and make all kinds of mess.
The rest of the New Hall is filled with hundreds of original pieces, collectibles such as Little Gems, Clair Craft, Krystonia, and much, much more from Russian nesting dolls to lunch boxes.
This showcase is in the New Fantasy Room. We outgrew the first space. Here we have most, but not all, of the Enchantica dragons in the collection. Also the Titan. You'll get to see a closeup of him next.
The Titan. A prototype for Claire Craft in England. People are really impressed with this dragon. He's large (about 2 feet tall). He's fearsome. He's poised for action.
Enchantica's Bethor. He was one of the new pieces in 1998.
Two of Hap Henriksen's pieces from the Wizards and Dragons collection. Both of these are club membership pieces. The orange one is called "The Awakening" the lovely blue one "Atnanticus".
One of the reasons I have collected so many dragons is that they reflect the creativity of so many talented people. And I just LOVE the colors, the expressions, the originality shown.
Disney lovers--Yes, we have a section for you too. We've added the Maleficent pewter piece for the 1997 Disney Convention since this picture was taken. You have to come back to keep up with all of the changes.
The Sitting Area. Meet Sidney made entirely from recycled materials and the Guardian Dragon made by Jeff Coleman. We also have some great Oriental pieces here, like the carved settee from the early 1800's and the privacy screen.
Antiques & Things--Some old, some new, lots of variety. Here you will really get a glimpse of how dragons are used in different cultures. The next few slides will show you a little of what we have on display. There are hundreds of dragons here.
A wonderful chandelier made in America in 1928.
There are two cabinets of dragons from around the world and two more containing dragons from Japan and China. These two give you a preview of what is to come in the Japanese and Chinese Rooms.
An English Royal Worchester vase that has a dragon of classical Japanese style applied to it.
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A lovely pictorial vase from Austria.
Another favorite. Looks very European, but I have no history on it.
A wooden tankard made by the St. Louis Silver Company.
One of several Meissen pieces from Germany. They usually used a Chinese-style dragon on their pieces.
This is our Chinese Dragon Master. He is in charge of keeping the Oriental dragons in line. They get pretty rowdy at night sometimes. He once belonged to Rosalind Russell, the actress.
Here is another view of The Dragon Master. The dragons adorn the sleeves and back of his robe as well as the front.
Here is the obsessive dragon collector taking a break amongst her dragons.
Chinese roof tiles. The first time I heard these called that, I wondered. They are used to decorate the corners and roofline of building, especially temples in China. These are originals, not mass produced reproductions.
One of the cabinets in the Chinese Room. Snuff bottles, bird food cups, ink stones, new, old, figurines, vases. There is SO MUCH to see.
Chinese Cloisonne bowl with two dragons drinking from it. The workmanship on this piece is not the greatest, but I love the design.
These pictures don't reflect the true beauty of these jade carvings. Guess you will have to come and see them for yourself.
This pair of dragons was carved out of a single piece of dark green jade. This is the color of jade that most Americans are most familiar with, but jade comes in several other colors also.
Some of our Chinese snuff or medicine bottles.
Another favorite. Great workmanship. It is done in silver with a gold wash and is adorned with semi-precious stones. Unfortunately, the head is tilted forward in this picture and I forgot to fix it and get another picture.
Turning right after leaving the Chinese Room will take you across the Fun Room and into the Japanese Room.
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Items displayed in the Japanese Room vary from slip-trailed dragonware pieces made for the tourist trade to exquisite works of art.
More of the Japanese Room. It just dawned on me that we have missed some of the best pieces. There is so much to see that we could not possibly put it all here.
A suger and creamer made of sterling silver. These two are not currently on display. Someday they will probably be on display in the Japanese Room or possibly in a new display featuring different dragons each month.
The unusual humidor on the left is one of the newer items to become part of the collection.
Japanese cloisonne can be exceptionally beautiful and this is one of our finest examples.
Japanese Satsuma. And we have some even lovelier than this.
More Japanese pieces. I love the egg shell china demitasse cup on the right. The figurine is a piece done to celebrate the Year of the Dragon in 1988. By the way, you do know that the year 2000 is the next Year of the Dragon?
Satsuma dragon. Aren't the colors GREAT?
The Hall has some pretty interesting items, including a box for thread with a dragon on it. The round box to the left is a collar box used by Victorian gentlemen to store their detachable collars to keep them clean.
This is one of the very collectible Rumph pottery pieces. We claim that this is our most bizarre dragons. Looks like he is eating this poor guy.
If you look closely, you can see the victim's body inside the dragon. Sorry this didn't come out as clear as we wanted.
A great limited edition piece by Butch Honeck.
When this picture was taken these music boxes were in my home. Now they are in the Music Box Room just off of Dragon's Delight.
The first dragon I ever bought. Got him in Davis, California in 1975 or '76. he reminded me of the laid-back fellow that I was dating at the time.
The Reading Group. I'd like to make a group of dragons in bath tubs, but they seem to be a little shy about bathing together.
How's this for an unusual pair. Bought these in Helen, Georgia in the mid 80's.
Hand-sewn by Donna Isaac, the Dragon Lady of Dragon Lady Originals. I have arranged for us to get some new hand-sewn dragons to sell in the shop. She also makes smaller ones that can ride on your arm.
This is Alpha Sprout by Rick Cain. His pieces are always worth a close look because of the many wonderful hidden details within the creation. They also are highly collectible.
This is a limited edition piece by Rick Cain. His work has to be examined closely to be appreciated because there are often additional images or containers hidden within the details. His highly collectible work is popular in both the Shop and the Museum.
Whoa!! I about hyperventilated when I first saw these in July of 1998. Individually hand painted from the inside of the globe. Aren't they fantastic. It is unbelievable the tallents some people have. Not sure where these will be displayed.
The metal sculpture is made by Julie Bomberger. The smaller sculpted figures are each individually created in plastic by Natelie Young of Auburn, Alabama. We have an assortment of the works of both of these artists in the shop.
Another piece purchased in Helen, Georgia. Can't you just hear him saying, "But Mom, he followed me home. Can't I keep him?"
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Your view of the shop as you are exiting from the museum. Of course, if you feel the need to go back through to check out your favorite areas more thoroughly, you can do that.
The Kid's Corner
This great handmade kite from Indonesia hangs over the Windstone showcase.
Another view of the shop.
There are SO MANY things to see in the shop. Some people are content just to stay here for hours.
Part of the extensive Enchantica display. They have over flowed their large showcase and some had to move into a second case.
Tudor Mint, Krystonia, handcarved mammoth ivory and carved amber pieces live here, just waiting for you to take them home.
I had a lot of fun setting up various groupings of the Pocket Dragons. Pocket Dragons are the creation of Real Musgrave and are a very popular collectible. This is The Wedding. Yes, we even have accessories you can set up your own scenes.
What to wear? How do I look? Haven't we all had this problem before?
I call this "Mother's Day Out". Mommies at the table; kids playing; Daddy driving up to pick up one of his little tikes.
The Music Room. Twinkle Toes is having so much fun showing off her dancing skills to the songs being played by the piper, the quartet and the pianist.There is even an appreciative audience.
Our Hero and The Merry Band are the club member pieces for 1998-1999. Even peaceful Pocket Dragons must defend themselves on occassion.
Whether you already know what you want or are just looking around, Dragon Dreams Museum and Gift Shop is a GREAT place to visit.
Office
There are dragons at Dragon Dreams, but does it come as a surprise that I would have them at work too? This is Brainerd Hills Veterinary Hospital and the museum prior to its most recent remodelling. Things always are a changing.
Dragons fly amongst the beams in the Waiting Room. My Mother gave me this one.
Here's another one. This time, a carved one from Indonesia.
And then there is the large Chinese ceremonial gown on the wall. Somehow, I just can't seem to find room for this at the museum although its collar is in the Blue and White Room.
This Chinese four-panel piece graces the wall of the Waiting Room.
This is a Chinese painting on wood. The dragon in the center keeps a watchful eye over the breakroom/library.
Now don't let anyone tell you that my desk is NEVER clean. You can see that the piles aren't too deep on this day anyway. This lamp is now in the Chinese Room at Dragon Dreams.
This is one of the display shelves in my office. The top two figures are still there but the bowl and the Chinese figure riding the dragon are now residing in the Chinese Room next door.
This went up as soon as the wallpaper went up in my office. It's a big one, about four feet long. How could I ever part with it. It brings me good luck.
More of the shelf units in my office. I have to admit that there are many more dragons crowded onto these shelves now. I need to get some of them over to the Museum, but there are SO MANY DRAGONS and SO LITTLE TIME!!! SIGH!!.
This is an Oriental print that I picked up at an Antique Store or consignment store. I don't remember which. One of those lucky finds that was really neat but not expensive .
Here's another. It hangs at the end of the hall. I remember that I got it at a consignment store in Florida. It is a Chinese wood block print. Thanks for looking. Remember that this is just a taste of the dragons you might see at Dragon Dreams..
Before Dragon Dreams
Another shocker (HA, HA). Could you guess that I might have dragons at home? Some of these have migrated to Dragon Dreams, but some insisted on staying at the house. This one is on the wall of the guest room.
This is one of my favorite lamps. If I had my way, there would be a room in the museum especially for lamps. I love them. Practical but beautiful.
More from the days before Dragon Dreams. These all live at the museum now. Look for them in Dragon's Delight and (would you guess) the Blue and White Room.
The guest room has one wall mostly covered by a GREAT eight panel coramandel screen. I especially like the white dragon on it. He has such a cute expression on his face.
Here's a peek at the other half of the screen. I use the two halves like headboards.
Here's some that used to be in the living room. Most of these are in the museum now. The colorful thousands of faces teaset doesn't have dragons, so it got to stay at home to decorate the house.
Blue and White pieces that are now in the Blue and White Room. When these pictures were made, these pieces were in my living room.
These little guys live in the Chinese Room now. They were carved out of one piece of dark green jade. Look for them during your tour.
Back to the guest room. These are now in a multitude of different places. You will just have to look and see if you can find them.
The teaset on the top is the very first antigue I ever bought with dragons on it. That started the search for dragons in antique stores. Prior to that time, I mainly found dragons from importers or at craft and art shows and Renaissance Fairs.
Once upon a time, I had spare time and I did counted cross stitch. Several dragons emerged, although I did other things as well.
Here are two more examples of my handiwork. The Fire Dragon and the Ice Dragon. They were worked on cream color on the pattern book, but I think they look much better on black.
This one is a bit unusual but kind of handy. A coffee table, but the two ends fold in to decrease the size for shipping. All you are seeing is the top. It has nice rolled edges that you can't see in this picture.
These were at the house. Now they live in the Fun Room and the Japanese Room and Dragon's Delight.
Not wanting to take the fronts off of the cabinets, we didn't get pictures of the music boxes. These pieces are in the Music Box Room now, but at the time this picture was taken, they were in my home.
This is the biggest dragon I have. He is a wooden carved dragon that once graced the front of a Chinese restaurant. I only bought the one as the other was not in as good condition and money was an issue. The newer ones are not usually carved of wood.