Dragon Got Its Tail

527 wide x 423 tall
96,680 total stitches in 5 DMC colors
or 49,532 total stitches on white fabric (no white stitches)

DMC floss color - # of stitches
310 - 29,758
413 - 6,981
04 - 7,591
02 - 6,202
BLANC - 47,148

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A stitched symbol of eternal return, drawn from the depths of Hermetic lore.
This counted cross stitch pattern is based on a 1678 copperplate engraving from Musaeum Hermeticum Reformatum et Amplificatum, a legendary compendium of alchemical texts. The design features a dragon biting its own tail—an ancient symbol known as the Ouroboros, representing cyclical transformation, self-renewal, and the unity of opposites.
Rendered in bold linework and stylized scales, this pattern invites you to stitch the mystery of matter itself: the dragon devouring its own form to become whole again. Whether you see it as a cosmic metaphor or a stitched relic of esoteric philosophy, it's a timeless emblem of alchemical wisdom.

Image credit: Musaeum hermeticum reformatum et amplificatum Musaeum hermeticum reformatum et amplificatum, omnes sophospagyricaeartis discipulos fidelissime
Creator: Basilius Valentinus Lambsprinck, Merian, Maria Sibylla, 1647-1717
Engraver: Norton, Thomas, fl. 1477 Thoelde, Johannes.
Published / Created:1678