Futonji (bedding cover) with tigers

early 20th century

2010 is the Year of the Tiger, seen here in a cover that positions this animal in a cage of crisscrossing stripes. Tigers are known in Japan for their courage, sensitivity, stubbornness and hot temper. Not often actually seen, their forms were frequently reduced to large eyes and striped bodies. Here the tiger is roaming across a landscape of bamboo.

Cotton cloth with indigo dye (kasuri) and double ikat

66 3/4 x 52 1/8 in. (169.55 x 132.4 cm)

Gift of the Christensen Fund

2001.456

Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, "Order and Border", February 26, 2010 - August 28, 2011

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, "Rabbit, Cat and Horse; Endearing Creatures in Japanese Art", December 21, 2002 - March 16, 2003

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