Toy tiger Possibly 1854

print, ink, color-on-paper

toned paper

ink paper printed

print

old engraving style

japan

personal sketchbook

ink

color-on-paper

ink drawing experimentation

ink colored

sketchbook drawing

watercolour illustration

sketchbook art

watercolor

"Toy Tiger" is a Japanese woodblock print created by Iwao, born in 1854, possibly in 1854. It is a charming and playful illustration of a tiger rendered in a stylized, almost geometric, manner, highlighting the artist's mastery of form and line. The print is a delightful example of the Japanese woodblock print tradition known as ukiyo-e, often depicting scenes from daily life or nature. The inscription on the print, though unreadable without a Japanese translator, is a testament to the importance of text and image in Japanese art. The simplicity of the print, with its striking use of yellow and black, evokes a sense of childlike wonder and playfulness. It currently resides in the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

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minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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New Year has particular significance in Japanese culture. Marking the coming of spring in the lunar calendar, New Year symbolizes the renewal of life and hope for the future. To celebrate the occasion, poetry societies in Japan convene special gatherings in which their members compose poems on themes related to the New Year. Typical subjects for such gatherings include plum blossoms, bush warblers, the first sunrise, and the zodiac sign associated with the New Year. Depicting a child's toy, this print was created to celebrate the "year of the tiger" (the Zodiac animal associated with 2010 as well). The image and one of the poems bears the signature of "Iwao," suggesting that the artist was also a member of the poetry society that commissioned the print, though nothing more is known about the artist-poet.