Description
A tiger looks upon a waterfall as it prowls out of a bamboo grove, 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).
Provenance
(Klaus F. Naumann East Asian Art, Tokyo, Japan, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) (?–1985); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1985–)
Accession Number
1985.134
Medium
pair of six-panel folding screens; ink, slight color, gold, and silver on paper
Dimensions
Overall: 173.4 x 377.2 cm (68 1/4 x 148 1/2 in.)
Classification
Painting
Credit Line
Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund