Object Details
Label
A tiger standing protectively over her cubs seems to ignore two magpies scolding from the branches of a pine tree. When combined as the subject of paintings, tigers are messengers of the mountain spirit and magpies are the envoys of the shrine deities that protect house hold and community. Paintings with this motif were displayed in doorways of Korean homes at the New Year to ward off evil. Court artists painted the theme on silk, as in this example, while itinerant painters serving village households used mulberry paper.
Provenance
To 1911
Riu Cheng Chai, Beijing, to 1911 [1]
From 1911 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Riu Cheng Chai, Beijing, in 1911 [2]
From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]
Notes:
[1] See Kakemono and Makimono List, L. 810, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.
[2] See note 1.
[3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Exhibition History
Looking Out, Looking In: Art in Late Imperial China (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)
Previous custodian or owner
Riu Cheng Chai (C.L. Freer source)
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Date
15th century
Period
Ming dynasty
Accession Number
F1911.252
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Type
Painting
Medium
Ink and color on silk
Dimensions
H x W (image): 165 × 95.2 cm (65 × 37 1/2 in)
Origin
Possibly Zhejiang province, China
Related Online Resources
Google Arts & Culture
See more items in
National Museum of Asian Art
Data Source
National Museum of Asian Art
Topic
tree
pine tree
tiger
Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644)
China
magpie
Chinese Art
Charles Lang Freer collection
Link to Original Record
Record ID
fsg_F1911.252