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The world of folk art (and craft art) is great. I have diverse passions in the space, including bamboo/woodwork from Japan in particular, textiles from Japan to central Asia, but little in 2D space.
The one exception is Korean Tiger & Magpie folk paintings.
The one exception is Korean Tiger & Magpie folk paintings.
Since I discovered them years ago, I love to find them in books, museums, elsewhere (I own none).
I have ALWAYS been struck by the facial expressions, thinking them wildly exaggerated.
I have ALWAYS been struck by the facial expressions, thinking them wildly exaggerated.
There are a few pose variations, and differences in colors and many of them are copies of copies of copies over the generations, but the one constant is big wide-eyed, brows-raised open-mouthed expressions of... something...
And I love that.
And I love that.
Not knowing how tigers go about their business of looking at magpies, I assumed it was just exaggerated stylism.
Then today I see this.
Twitter is great. You can learn something new every day.
Then today I see this.
Twitter is great. You can learn something new every day.
To be sure... they are different than the Tiger and Jaguar in my header (which I long ago labelled Cryptokitty #1 and #2). Those are painted by Japanese court painter Kanō Sanraku (狩野 山楽 1559-1635) and are owned by Myoshinji temple (3-4km directly west of the Imperial Palace)
In this, the dragons go on the right as part of a total of a 12-screen byōbu painting (Myoshinji and its sub-temples have at least 3-4 great Sanraku screen paintings, a few with tigers).
Sanraku was a student of Eitoku, who painted for both Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Sanraku was a student of Eitoku, who painted for both Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Sanraku took over as head of the Kano School in 1590 and painted for the Toyotomis until the Tokugawas solidified control after the Siege of Osaka in 1615. Then he painted mostly for the Tokugawas until his death 20yrs later.
