Tiger in Bamboo Screen

A six-panel screen (byobu) with a sumi-e painting of tigers (tora) in bamboo (take) executed in the style of Kishi Ganku. The chikkozu byôbu (bamboo-tiger) is a popular Japanese art subject that originates in Chinese myth and religion. In traditional Daoist thought, the tiger represents the male, earth, north, and yang. The link between the tiger and bamboo recalls a Daoist interlocking relationship of strong and weak: the "strong" tiger protects the "helpless" bamboo forest, while the "weak" forest protects the tiger by hiding it. Some staining and wear consistent with age.