Tiger 1830

This woodblock print depicts a tiger, rendered by Utagawa Kunisada, a master of the Ukiyo-e style. The tiger, a symbol of courage and protection against evil, is portrayed with a stylized yet powerful stance. The tiger's presence here is not isolated; the motif of the tiger reverberates across cultures. In China, the tiger is one of the four symbols of power and represents the west and autumn. As we see here, the depiction is far removed from the reality of the animal as no tigers live naturally in Japan. One cannot help but wonder if this distance adds to the mythical aura of the animal. The tiger's tail curls in a spiral, reminiscent of ancient depictions of dragons or even the caduceus, symbolizing healing and transformation. It is as if Kunisada taps into a primal, collective memory. The tiger reemerges through time, its symbolic power continuously renewed, a testament to the enduring human fascination with nature's awe-inspiring forces.