South-Est Asian Art A wood carved dragon Cambodia, Khmer dynasty, 14th century . . Cm 30,00 x 170,00. Sinuous wood carving depicting an S-shaped dragon with a flaming tail tip balancing its crest in the symmetrical section.Ancient wood carvings are rare in all cultures and at all latitudes due to the perishable nature of the material. In particular, the Khmer culture used to build and decorate with: bricks, wood and sandstone which they used to mine from domestic mountains such as the Phnom Kulen.The dragon is a mythological animal and has always been of great importance in the East, having an ambivalent symbolic character as it can both destroy and protect, which is why a dragon is often placed at the entrance of buildings and templar complexes. The dragon is also a symbol of water, which it collects when placed on rooftops as a decorative element or as a drainpipe.