Tiger Family

Description

In deep mountains, a tigress, two cubs, and a leopard welcome the early morning sun. This is not merely a playful scene but a well calculated image with symbols of longevity (pine trees), prosperity (tigress and cubs), and good fortune (leopard). Traditionally, on New Year’s Eve, the image of a fearsome-looking tiger was pasted on entrance doors to ward off evil spirits. Conventional Korean tiger paintings often include frolicking magpies, but here, the crimson sun is placed behind a majestic pine. Through the sunrise and the details of the felines’ skin shines the artist’s keen interest in creating a realistic atmosphere.

Provenance

(Kozo Mabumoto 藪本公三, Amagasaki, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) (?–1997); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1997–)

Tiger Family

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late 1800s

Accession Number

1997.148

Medium

hanging scroll; ink and color on paper

Dimensions

Image: 170 x 90.4 cm (66 15/16 x 35 9/16 in.); Overall: 262.5 x 115.1 cm (103 3/8 x 45 5/16 in.)

Classification

Painting

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund