Page 211 - 2021 March 16th Japanese and Korean Art, Christie's New York City

250 ANONYMOUS (17TH-19TH CENTURY)

Tiger and Magpie

With spurious signature Tangyin (Tang Yin; 1470-1524)
Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk
65¡ x 33√ in. (166.1 x 86 cm.)

$50,000-60,000

The feline face, long vertical stripes, clawed paws,
and long tail identify the beast with those markings
as a tiger, which is regarded as a guardian that wards
away evil spirits and a sacred creature that brings good
fortune. Though not one of the Four Directional Deities,
or Sasin—a term referring to the mythical animals
guarding the four cardinal directions: Azure Dragon
of the East, White Tiger of the West, Black Tortoise-
and-Serpent of the North and Vermilion Bird of the
South—the tiger has long been associated with Korea
and Korean culture, and it figures in Korea’s foundation
mythology. In fact, the oldest Korean historical records
that mention the tiger associate it with Dangun, Korea’s
legendary founding father. The tiger is often shown
together with a pine tree and an auspicious bird, magpie.
Tang Yin (1470–1524) was one of the most important
Chinese artists from mid-Ming dynasty and the inscribed
date of Xinmao year corresponds to 1471 or 1531, which
seems implausible during Tang’s lifetime.
For a similar painting in the Okada Museum of Art,
see Kobayashi Tadashi, ed., Masterpieces of the Okada
Museum of Art, vol. 2 (Kanagawa: Okada Museum of
Art, 2018), no. 93.