Antique Miniature Pair of Carved Tigers, China (16075BME) $250

Description

This stylized pair of folk-art tigers covered with lacquer and highlighted with black pigment was incorporated as a decorative element in a larger item, maybe a bed frame or piece of furniture as there are indentations on top to insert vertical extensions. The tiger is one of many ancient mythical animals, and as the mount of the Taoist god Heavenly Master Zhang Tianshi tiger images are said to expel evil and are used as protective symbols in Chinese homes.  As a male yang symbol, the tiger represents and stimulates one’s courage, dispel demons and evil and also appeared on all kinds of children’s clothing, hats, collars, pillows and shoes as well as their assorted amulets as protective charms also used by adults.. The tiger is also one of the twelve animals of the zodiac, and in Neolithic times the white tiger was associated with the direction west and the autumn season. These charming creatures are in very good condition with minor surface losses consistent with age, carved from one piece of wood including their plinths. Along with other cultural and religious objects, many statue pairs perished during China’s modernization and genuine antique ones – especially pairs of objects – are increasingly difficult to find.