Click image to view full screen
Dragon and Tiger
✓ Authenticity guarantee · ✓ Specialist condition report · ✓ Insured worldwide shipping · ✓ Private-room viewing
A tiger sits in a bamboo grove whipped with fierce wind, while a dragon claws through clouds above rough waves. Tiger and dragon are Chinese cosmological symbols of the balancing forces in the world, yin (the feminine aspect) and yang (the masculine aspect). The tiger's roar is also said to generate wind, and the dragon clouds. The screens may have originally been meant to express the fluctuating nature of the world as envisioned in the practice of military divination, or forecasting, based on the <em>Yijing</em> (<em>Book of Changes</em>).
| Artist / Maker | Sesson Shūkei |
|---|---|
| Date | c. 1546–56 |
| Culture / Origin | Japan, Muromachi period (1392–1573) to Momoyama period (1573–1615) |
| Medium | Pair of six-panel folding screens; ink on paper |
| Dimensions | Each: 157.3 x 339 cm (61 15/16 x 133 7/16 in.); Framed: 172.3 x 354 cm (67 13/16 x 139 3/8 in.) |
| Department | Japanese Art |
| Type | Painting |
About the Artist
Sesson Shūkei (Japanese, c. 1492–c. 1577) Full biography →
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
A detailed condition report and high-resolution photography are available from our specialists in advance of the sale.
Shipping & Collection
Fine-art shipping with climate control and full insurance to over 120 countries; collection by appointment.
Buying at Matchless Pieces
Register, verify your identity, and bid online or in a private room. Buyer’s premium and taxes are shown before you confirm.
