Artwork Page for Tiger

Details / Information for Tiger

Tiger

early to mid-1600s

attributed to Soga Nichokuan 曽我二直庵

(Japanese)
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Culture
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)
Medium
six-panel folding screen; ink, slight color, gold, and silver on paper
Measurements
Painting only: 158.1 x 304.8 cm (62 1/4 x 120 in.); Including mounting: 173.4 x 377.2 cm (68 1/4 x 148 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund 1985.134.2
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

A tiger looks upon a waterfall as it prowls out of a bamboo grove on this screen, and a dragon dives through clouds on the right. Tiger and dragon are traditional symbols of the balancing forces in the world, yin (the feminine aspect) and yang (the masculine aspect). This painting has a signature and seals, identifying it as a work by Soga Nichokuan, a painter thought to be from Sakai (near Osaka), and known primarily for his representations of hawk-eagles (kumataka).
A horizontal six-panel ink and color screen painting depicts a tiger in a hazy landscape. On our right, a striped predator with a spotted belly crouches leftward, wide eyes and an open mouth positioned near bamboo stalks. To our left, stylized waves curve and crest in pale surges. Muted horizontal bands of tan and gray wash across the background, creating a sense of deep, misty atmosphere throughout the composition.

Tiger

early to mid-1600s

Soga Nichokuan

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

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