Artwork Page for Lions and Tigers in Peony and Bamboo

Details / Information for Lions and Tigers in Peony and Bamboo

Lions and Tigers in Peony and Bamboo

牡丹に唐獅子と竹に虎図屏風

1668

Yamaguchi Sekkei 山口 雪渓

(Japanese, 1644–1732)
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Culture
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)
Medium
pair of six-panel folding screens; ink and color on gilded paper
Credit Line
John L. Severance Fund 1972.10
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

Sekkei lived and studied painting in Kyoto at the Kano school studio, the center of traditional painting activity in Japan since 1500. The use of gold foil as a backdrop for the frolicking animals served a practical as well as a decorative function. Because traditional Japanese rooms had no windows, interior lighting came from portable oil lamps and wax candles, whose effects were magnified by reflective surfaces.
A pair of six-panel folding screens depicts continuous scenes in ink and color on gold ground. Top screen: a leaping red-maned lion and a seated green-maned lion flank white peonies. Bottom screen: a spotted leopard and a striped tiger prowl through bamboo stalks. The creatures exhibit stylized patterns and fierce expressions. Shimmering gold backgrounds emphasize the bold forms of the beasts, creating dynamic compositions across the gilded surfaces.

Lions and Tigers in Peony and Bamboo

1668

Yamaguchi Sekkei

(Japanese, 1644–1732)
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)

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