Happy Lunar New Year everybody! This year we celebrate moving into the year of the Tiger, and we have the perfect way to do so. For this week’s whistle-stop tour, gowithYamo will be taking you on a journey into the significance of Tigers in Chinese culture, showing you stunning collections of Chinese art around the world.
The Chinese zodiac (shengxiao) have 12 signs, each represented by a different animal. Shengxiao translates as 'born resembling' and describes the belief that people inherit traits of the animal they fall under. Unlike the fixed Gregorian calendar that dictates January 1st as the first day of the year, the Lunar New Year follows the moon's phases, with months representing moon cycles. The Lunar New Year begins with the rise of the second new moon after the winter solstice and this year is the year of the Tiger.
In traditional Chinese culture, tigers are a symbol of luck, courage and power. The tiger is an ancient symbol representing yang or positive energy and is associated with the sun, summer and fire. They are known as the king of beasts and symbolise power, royalty, protection and a degree of unpredictability. This fearless creature features heavily in Chinese classical literature and performance art, and dates back over 6,000 years to the Neolithic Age. Tigers were featured on bronze ware, jade and gold ornaments as talisman or tiger shaped tokens as well as in porcelain ceramic work.
Tigers were incorporated into shadow puppetry and used to tell stories and folktales starting in the Han Dynasty. They were popular in every province and quickly became a people’s art form in the working class due to their portability and simplicity. This beautiful, more high-profile puppet was made in the 19th or 20th century and was comprised of eight separate hand-painted pieces with movable joints.
This ink painting dated back to the 18th century is part of a larger collection at the Shanghai Museum sent from the Kyushu National Museum in Japan. The soft brush strokes used culminate in a vicious but regal-looking tiger.
You can find more Chinese art collections to satiate your appetite at:
The Wallace Collection
In celebration of Chinese New Year, The Wallace Collection are hosting a range of events, the highlight being Tiger Tales, a family-event taking you on a storytelling journey through the collection and finishing with an opportunity to make your own artwork inspired by the exhibition.
The British Museum
Whose Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery of China and South Asia presents the histories of China from 5000BC to the present including painting, prints, jade, bronze, lacquer and ceramic work.
The Shanghai Museum
Who have recently opened an exhibition focused around the year of the Tiger named ‘A Joyous New Year: China-Japan ExhibitionCelebrating the Year of the Tiger’.
The Ashmolean Gallery
Who are running a series of free craft workshops for children aged 3+ to celebrate the year of the tiger.
We hope we have sparked your interest and taught you something new about the year of the tiger and the significance of tigers in ancient Chinese art.
Happy Lunar New Year everybody! This year we celebrate moving into the year of the Tiger, and we have the perfect way to do so. For this week’s whistle-stop tour, gowithYamo will be taking you on a journey into the significance of Tigers in Chinese culture, showing you stunning collections of Chinese art around the world.
The Chinese zodiac (shengxiao) have 12 signs, each represented by a different animal. Shengxiao translates as 'born resembling' and describes the belief that people inherit traits of the animal they fall under. Unlike the fixed Gregorian calendar that dictates January 1st as the first day of the year, the Lunar New Year follows the moon's phases, with months representing moon cycles. The Lunar New Year begins with the rise of the second new moon after the winter solstice and this year is the year of the Tiger.
In traditional Chinese culture, tigers are a symbol of luck, courage and power. The tiger is an ancient symbol representing yang or positive energy and is associated with the sun, summer and fire. They are known as the king of beasts and symbolise power, royalty, protection and a degree of unpredictability. This fearless creature features heavily in Chinese classical literature and performance art, and dates back over 6,000 years to the Neolithic Age. Tigers were featured on bronze ware, jade and gold ornaments as talisman or tiger shaped tokens as well as in porcelain ceramic work.
Tigers were incorporated into shadow puppetry and used to tell stories and folktales starting in the Han Dynasty. They were popular in every province and quickly became a people’s art form in the working class due to their portability and simplicity. This beautiful, more high-profile puppet was made in the 19th or 20th century and was comprised of eight separate hand-painted pieces with movable joints.
This ink painting dated back to the 18th century is part of a larger collection at the Shanghai Museum sent from the Kyushu National Museum in Japan. The soft brush strokes used culminate in a vicious but regal-looking tiger.
You can find more Chinese art collections to satiate your appetite at:
The Wallace Collection
In celebration of Chinese New Year, The Wallace Collection are hosting a range of events, the highlight being Tiger Tales, a family-event taking you on a storytelling journey through the collection and finishing with an opportunity to make your own artwork inspired by the exhibition.
The British Museum
Whose Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery of China and South Asia presents the histories of China from 5000BC to the present including painting, prints, jade, bronze, lacquer and ceramic work.
The Shanghai Museum
Who have recently opened an exhibition focused around the year of the Tiger named ‘A Joyous New Year: China-Japan ExhibitionCelebrating the Year of the Tiger’.
The Ashmolean Gallery
Who are running a series of free craft workshops for children aged 3+ to celebrate the year of the tiger.
We hope we have sparked your interest and taught you something new about the year of the tiger and the significance of tigers in ancient Chinese art.
Happy Lunar New Year everybody! This year we celebrate moving into the year of the Tiger, and we have the perfect way to do so. For this week’s whistle-stop tour, gowithYamo will be taking you on a journey into the significance of Tigers in Chinese culture, showing you stunning collections of Chinese art around the world.
The Chinese zodiac (shengxiao) have 12 signs, each represented by a different animal. Shengxiao translates as 'born resembling' and describes the belief that people inherit traits of the animal they fall under. Unlike the fixed Gregorian calendar that dictates January 1st as the first day of the year, the Lunar New Year follows the moon's phases, with months representing moon cycles. The Lunar New Year begins with the rise of the second new moon after the winter solstice and this year is the year of the Tiger.
In traditional Chinese culture, tigers are a symbol of luck, courage and power. The tiger is an ancient symbol representing yang or positive energy and is associated with the sun, summer and fire. They are known as the king of beasts and symbolise power, royalty, protection and a degree of unpredictability. This fearless creature features heavily in Chinese classical literature and performance art, and dates back over 6,000 years to the Neolithic Age. Tigers were featured on bronze ware, jade and gold ornaments as talisman or tiger shaped tokens as well as in porcelain ceramic work.
Tigers were incorporated into shadow puppetry and used to tell stories and folktales starting in the Han Dynasty. They were popular in every province and quickly became a people’s art form in the working class due to their portability and simplicity. This beautiful, more high-profile puppet was made in the 19th or 20th century and was comprised of eight separate hand-painted pieces with movable joints.
This ink painting dated back to the 18th century is part of a larger collection at the Shanghai Museum sent from the Kyushu National Museum in Japan. The soft brush strokes used culminate in a vicious but regal-looking tiger.
You can find more Chinese art collections to satiate your appetite at:
The Wallace Collection
In celebration of Chinese New Year, The Wallace Collection are hosting a range of events, the highlight being Tiger Tales, a family-event taking you on a storytelling journey through the collection and finishing with an opportunity to make your own artwork inspired by the exhibition.
The British Museum
Whose Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery of China and South Asia presents the histories of China from 5000BC to the present including painting, prints, jade, bronze, lacquer and ceramic work.
The Shanghai Museum
Who have recently opened an exhibition focused around the year of the Tiger named ‘A Joyous New Year: China-Japan ExhibitionCelebrating the Year of the Tiger’.
The Ashmolean Gallery
Who are running a series of free craft workshops for children aged 3+ to celebrate the year of the tiger.
We hope we have sparked your interest and taught you something new about the year of the tiger and the significance of tigers in ancient Chinese art.
Happy Lunar New Year everybody! This year we celebrate moving into the year of the Tiger, and we have the perfect way to do so. For this week’s whistle-stop tour, gowithYamo will be taking you on a journey into the significance of Tigers in Chinese culture, showing you stunning collections of Chinese art around the world.
The Chinese zodiac (shengxiao) have 12 signs, each represented by a different animal. Shengxiao translates as 'born resembling' and describes the belief that people inherit traits of the animal they fall under. Unlike the fixed Gregorian calendar that dictates January 1st as the first day of the year, the Lunar New Year follows the moon's phases, with months representing moon cycles. The Lunar New Year begins with the rise of the second new moon after the winter solstice and this year is the year of the Tiger.
In traditional Chinese culture, tigers are a symbol of luck, courage and power. The tiger is an ancient symbol representing yang or positive energy and is associated with the sun, summer and fire. They are known as the king of beasts and symbolise power, royalty, protection and a degree of unpredictability. This fearless creature features heavily in Chinese classical literature and performance art, and dates back over 6,000 years to the Neolithic Age. Tigers were featured on bronze ware, jade and gold ornaments as talisman or tiger shaped tokens as well as in porcelain ceramic work.
Tigers were incorporated into shadow puppetry and used to tell stories and folktales starting in the Han Dynasty. They were popular in every province and quickly became a people’s art form in the working class due to their portability and simplicity. This beautiful, more high-profile puppet was made in the 19th or 20th century and was comprised of eight separate hand-painted pieces with movable joints.
This ink painting dated back to the 18th century is part of a larger collection at the Shanghai Museum sent from the Kyushu National Museum in Japan. The soft brush strokes used culminate in a vicious but regal-looking tiger.
You can find more Chinese art collections to satiate your appetite at:
The Wallace Collection
In celebration of Chinese New Year, The Wallace Collection are hosting a range of events, the highlight being Tiger Tales, a family-event taking you on a storytelling journey through the collection and finishing with an opportunity to make your own artwork inspired by the exhibition.
The British Museum
Whose Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery of China and South Asia presents the histories of China from 5000BC to the present including painting, prints, jade, bronze, lacquer and ceramic work.
The Shanghai Museum
Who have recently opened an exhibition focused around the year of the Tiger named ‘A Joyous New Year: China-Japan ExhibitionCelebrating the Year of the Tiger’.
The Ashmolean Gallery
Who are running a series of free craft workshops for children aged 3+ to celebrate the year of the tiger.
We hope we have sparked your interest and taught you something new about the year of the tiger and the significance of tigers in ancient Chinese art.
Happy Lunar New Year everybody! This year we celebrate moving into the year of the Tiger, and we have the perfect way to do so. For this week’s whistle-stop tour, gowithYamo will be taking you on a journey into the significance of Tigers in Chinese culture, showing you stunning collections of Chinese art around the world.
The Chinese zodiac (shengxiao) have 12 signs, each represented by a different animal. Shengxiao translates as 'born resembling' and describes the belief that people inherit traits of the animal they fall under. Unlike the fixed Gregorian calendar that dictates January 1st as the first day of the year, the Lunar New Year follows the moon's phases, with months representing moon cycles. The Lunar New Year begins with the rise of the second new moon after the winter solstice and this year is the year of the Tiger.
In traditional Chinese culture, tigers are a symbol of luck, courage and power. The tiger is an ancient symbol representing yang or positive energy and is associated with the sun, summer and fire. They are known as the king of beasts and symbolise power, royalty, protection and a degree of unpredictability. This fearless creature features heavily in Chinese classical literature and performance art, and dates back over 6,000 years to the Neolithic Age. Tigers were featured on bronze ware, jade and gold ornaments as talisman or tiger shaped tokens as well as in porcelain ceramic work.
Tigers were incorporated into shadow puppetry and used to tell stories and folktales starting in the Han Dynasty. They were popular in every province and quickly became a people’s art form in the working class due to their portability and simplicity. This beautiful, more high-profile puppet was made in the 19th or 20th century and was comprised of eight separate hand-painted pieces with movable joints.
This ink painting dated back to the 18th century is part of a larger collection at the Shanghai Museum sent from the Kyushu National Museum in Japan. The soft brush strokes used culminate in a vicious but regal-looking tiger.
You can find more Chinese art collections to satiate your appetite at:
The Wallace Collection
In celebration of Chinese New Year, The Wallace Collection are hosting a range of events, the highlight being Tiger Tales, a family-event taking you on a storytelling journey through the collection and finishing with an opportunity to make your own artwork inspired by the exhibition.
The British Museum
Whose Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery of China and South Asia presents the histories of China from 5000BC to the present including painting, prints, jade, bronze, lacquer and ceramic work.
The Shanghai Museum
Who have recently opened an exhibition focused around the year of the Tiger named ‘A Joyous New Year: China-Japan ExhibitionCelebrating the Year of the Tiger’.
The Ashmolean Gallery
Who are running a series of free craft workshops for children aged 3+ to celebrate the year of the tiger.
We hope we have sparked your interest and taught you something new about the year of the tiger and the significance of tigers in ancient Chinese art.
Happy Lunar New Year everybody! This year we celebrate moving into the year of the Tiger, and we have the perfect way to do so. For this week’s whistle-stop tour, gowithYamo will be taking you on a journey into the significance of Tigers in Chinese culture, showing you stunning collections of Chinese art around the world.
The Chinese zodiac (shengxiao) have 12 signs, each represented by a different animal. Shengxiao translates as 'born resembling' and describes the belief that people inherit traits of the animal they fall under. Unlike the fixed Gregorian calendar that dictates January 1st as the first day of the year, the Lunar New Year follows the moon's phases, with months representing moon cycles. The Lunar New Year begins with the rise of the second new moon after the winter solstice and this year is the year of the Tiger.
In traditional Chinese culture, tigers are a symbol of luck, courage and power. The tiger is an ancient symbol representing yang or positive energy and is associated with the sun, summer and fire. They are known as the king of beasts and symbolise power, royalty, protection and a degree of unpredictability. This fearless creature features heavily in Chinese classical literature and performance art, and dates back over 6,000 years to the Neolithic Age. Tigers were featured on bronze ware, jade and gold ornaments as talisman or tiger shaped tokens as well as in porcelain ceramic work.
Tigers were incorporated into shadow puppetry and used to tell stories and folktales starting in the Han Dynasty. They were popular in every province and quickly became a people’s art form in the working class due to their portability and simplicity. This beautiful, more high-profile puppet was made in the 19th or 20th century and was comprised of eight separate hand-painted pieces with movable joints.
This ink painting dated back to the 18th century is part of a larger collection at the Shanghai Museum sent from the Kyushu National Museum in Japan. The soft brush strokes used culminate in a vicious but regal-looking tiger.
You can find more Chinese art collections to satiate your appetite at:
The Wallace Collection
In celebration of Chinese New Year, The Wallace Collection are hosting a range of events, the highlight being Tiger Tales, a family-event taking you on a storytelling journey through the collection and finishing with an opportunity to make your own artwork inspired by the exhibition.
The British Museum
Whose Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery of China and South Asia presents the histories of China from 5000BC to the present including painting, prints, jade, bronze, lacquer and ceramic work.
The Shanghai Museum
Who have recently opened an exhibition focused around the year of the Tiger named ‘A Joyous New Year: China-Japan ExhibitionCelebrating the Year of the Tiger’.
The Ashmolean Gallery
Who are running a series of free craft workshops for children aged 3+ to celebrate the year of the tiger.
We hope we have sparked your interest and taught you something new about the year of the tiger and the significance of tigers in ancient Chinese art.
Happy Lunar New Year everybody! This year we celebrate moving into the year of the Tiger, and we have the perfect way to do so. For this week’s whistle-stop tour, gowithYamo will be taking you on a journey into the significance of Tigers in Chinese culture, showing you stunning collections of Chinese art around the world.
The Chinese zodiac (shengxiao) have 12 signs, each represented by a different animal. Shengxiao translates as 'born resembling' and describes the belief that people inherit traits of the animal they fall under. Unlike the fixed Gregorian calendar that dictates January 1st as the first day of the year, the Lunar New Year follows the moon's phases, with months representing moon cycles. The Lunar New Year begins with the rise of the second new moon after the winter solstice and this year is the year of the Tiger.
In traditional Chinese culture, tigers are a symbol of luck, courage and power. The tiger is an ancient symbol representing yang or positive energy and is associated with the sun, summer and fire. They are known as the king of beasts and symbolise power, royalty, protection and a degree of unpredictability. This fearless creature features heavily in Chinese classical literature and performance art, and dates back over 6,000 years to the Neolithic Age. Tigers were featured on bronze ware, jade and gold ornaments as talisman or tiger shaped tokens as well as in porcelain ceramic work.
Tigers were incorporated into shadow puppetry and used to tell stories and folktales starting in the Han Dynasty. They were popular in every province and quickly became a people’s art form in the working class due to their portability and simplicity. This beautiful, more high-profile puppet was made in the 19th or 20th century and was comprised of eight separate hand-painted pieces with movable joints.
This ink painting dated back to the 18th century is part of a larger collection at the Shanghai Museum sent from the Kyushu National Museum in Japan. The soft brush strokes used culminate in a vicious but regal-looking tiger.
You can find more Chinese art collections to satiate your appetite at:
The Wallace Collection
In celebration of Chinese New Year, The Wallace Collection are hosting a range of events, the highlight being Tiger Tales, a family-event taking you on a storytelling journey through the collection and finishing with an opportunity to make your own artwork inspired by the exhibition.
The British Museum
Whose Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery of China and South Asia presents the histories of China from 5000BC to the present including painting, prints, jade, bronze, lacquer and ceramic work.
The Shanghai Museum
Who have recently opened an exhibition focused around the year of the Tiger named ‘A Joyous New Year: China-Japan ExhibitionCelebrating the Year of the Tiger’.
The Ashmolean Gallery
Who are running a series of free craft workshops for children aged 3+ to celebrate the year of the tiger.
We hope we have sparked your interest and taught you something new about the year of the tiger and the significance of tigers in ancient Chinese art.
Happy Lunar New Year everybody! This year we celebrate moving into the year of the Tiger, and we have the perfect way to do so. For this week’s whistle-stop tour, gowithYamo will be taking you on a journey into the significance of Tigers in Chinese culture, showing you stunning collections of Chinese art around the world.
The Chinese zodiac (shengxiao) have 12 signs, each represented by a different animal. Shengxiao translates as 'born resembling' and describes the belief that people inherit traits of the animal they fall under. Unlike the fixed Gregorian calendar that dictates January 1st as the first day of the year, the Lunar New Year follows the moon's phases, with months representing moon cycles. The Lunar New Year begins with the rise of the second new moon after the winter solstice and this year is the year of the Tiger.
In traditional Chinese culture, tigers are a symbol of luck, courage and power. The tiger is an ancient symbol representing yang or positive energy and is associated with the sun, summer and fire. They are known as the king of beasts and symbolise power, royalty, protection and a degree of unpredictability. This fearless creature features heavily in Chinese classical literature and performance art, and dates back over 6,000 years to the Neolithic Age. Tigers were featured on bronze ware, jade and gold ornaments as talisman or tiger shaped tokens as well as in porcelain ceramic work.
Tigers were incorporated into shadow puppetry and used to tell stories and folktales starting in the Han Dynasty. They were popular in every province and quickly became a people’s art form in the working class due to their portability and simplicity. This beautiful, more high-profile puppet was made in the 19th or 20th century and was comprised of eight separate hand-painted pieces with movable joints.
This ink painting dated back to the 18th century is part of a larger collection at the Shanghai Museum sent from the Kyushu National Museum in Japan. The soft brush strokes used culminate in a vicious but regal-looking tiger.
You can find more Chinese art collections to satiate your appetite at:
The Wallace Collection
In celebration of Chinese New Year, The Wallace Collection are hosting a range of events, the highlight being Tiger Tales, a family-event taking you on a storytelling journey through the collection and finishing with an opportunity to make your own artwork inspired by the exhibition.
The British Museum
Whose Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery of China and South Asia presents the histories of China from 5000BC to the present including painting, prints, jade, bronze, lacquer and ceramic work.
The Shanghai Museum
Who have recently opened an exhibition focused around the year of the Tiger named ‘A Joyous New Year: China-Japan ExhibitionCelebrating the Year of the Tiger’.
The Ashmolean Gallery
Who are running a series of free craft workshops for children aged 3+ to celebrate the year of the tiger.
We hope we have sparked your interest and taught you something new about the year of the tiger and the significance of tigers in ancient Chinese art.
Happy Lunar New Year everybody! This year we celebrate moving into the year of the Tiger, and we have the perfect way to do so. For this week’s whistle-stop tour, gowithYamo will be taking you on a journey into the significance of Tigers in Chinese culture, showing you stunning collections of Chinese art around the world.
The Chinese zodiac (shengxiao) have 12 signs, each represented by a different animal. Shengxiao translates as 'born resembling' and describes the belief that people inherit traits of the animal they fall under. Unlike the fixed Gregorian calendar that dictates January 1st as the first day of the year, the Lunar New Year follows the moon's phases, with months representing moon cycles. The Lunar New Year begins with the rise of the second new moon after the winter solstice and this year is the year of the Tiger.
In traditional Chinese culture, tigers are a symbol of luck, courage and power. The tiger is an ancient symbol representing yang or positive energy and is associated with the sun, summer and fire. They are known as the king of beasts and symbolise power, royalty, protection and a degree of unpredictability. This fearless creature features heavily in Chinese classical literature and performance art, and dates back over 6,000 years to the Neolithic Age. Tigers were featured on bronze ware, jade and gold ornaments as talisman or tiger shaped tokens as well as in porcelain ceramic work.
Tigers were incorporated into shadow puppetry and used to tell stories and folktales starting in the Han Dynasty. They were popular in every province and quickly became a people’s art form in the working class due to their portability and simplicity. This beautiful, more high-profile puppet was made in the 19th or 20th century and was comprised of eight separate hand-painted pieces with movable joints.
This ink painting dated back to the 18th century is part of a larger collection at the Shanghai Museum sent from the Kyushu National Museum in Japan. The soft brush strokes used culminate in a vicious but regal-looking tiger.
You can find more Chinese art collections to satiate your appetite at:
The Wallace Collection
In celebration of Chinese New Year, The Wallace Collection are hosting a range of events, the highlight being Tiger Tales, a family-event taking you on a storytelling journey through the collection and finishing with an opportunity to make your own artwork inspired by the exhibition.
The British Museum
Whose Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery of China and South Asia presents the histories of China from 5000BC to the present including painting, prints, jade, bronze, lacquer and ceramic work.
The Shanghai Museum
Who have recently opened an exhibition focused around the year of the Tiger named ‘A Joyous New Year: China-Japan ExhibitionCelebrating the Year of the Tiger’.
The Ashmolean Gallery
Who are running a series of free craft workshops for children aged 3+ to celebrate the year of the tiger.
We hope we have sparked your interest and taught you something new about the year of the tiger and the significance of tigers in ancient Chinese art.
Happy Lunar New Year everybody! This year we celebrate moving into the year of the Tiger, and we have the perfect way to do so. For this week’s whistle-stop tour, gowithYamo will be taking you on a journey into the significance of Tigers in Chinese culture, showing you stunning collections of Chinese art around the world.
The Chinese zodiac (shengxiao) have 12 signs, each represented by a different animal. Shengxiao translates as 'born resembling' and describes the belief that people inherit traits of the animal they fall under. Unlike the fixed Gregorian calendar that dictates January 1st as the first day of the year, the Lunar New Year follows the moon's phases, with months representing moon cycles. The Lunar New Year begins with the rise of the second new moon after the winter solstice and this year is the year of the Tiger.
In traditional Chinese culture, tigers are a symbol of luck, courage and power. The tiger is an ancient symbol representing yang or positive energy and is associated with the sun, summer and fire. They are known as the king of beasts and symbolise power, royalty, protection and a degree of unpredictability. This fearless creature features heavily in Chinese classical literature and performance art, and dates back over 6,000 years to the Neolithic Age. Tigers were featured on bronze ware, jade and gold ornaments as talisman or tiger shaped tokens as well as in porcelain ceramic work.
Tigers were incorporated into shadow puppetry and used to tell stories and folktales starting in the Han Dynasty. They were popular in every province and quickly became a people’s art form in the working class due to their portability and simplicity. This beautiful, more high-profile puppet was made in the 19th or 20th century and was comprised of eight separate hand-painted pieces with movable joints.
This ink painting dated back to the 18th century is part of a larger collection at the Shanghai Museum sent from the Kyushu National Museum in Japan. The soft brush strokes used culminate in a vicious but regal-looking tiger.
You can find more Chinese art collections to satiate your appetite at:
The Wallace Collection
In celebration of Chinese New Year, The Wallace Collection are hosting a range of events, the highlight being Tiger Tales, a family-event taking you on a storytelling journey through the collection and finishing with an opportunity to make your own artwork inspired by the exhibition.
The British Museum
Whose Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery of China and South Asia presents the histories of China from 5000BC to the present including painting, prints, jade, bronze, lacquer and ceramic work.
The Shanghai Museum
Who have recently opened an exhibition focused around the year of the Tiger named ‘A Joyous New Year: China-Japan ExhibitionCelebrating the Year of the Tiger’.
The Ashmolean Gallery
Who are running a series of free craft workshops for children aged 3+ to celebrate the year of the tiger.
We hope we have sparked your interest and taught you something new about the year of the tiger and the significance of tigers in ancient Chinese art.
Happy Lunar New Year everybody! This year we celebrate moving into the year of the Tiger, and we have the perfect way to do so. For this week’s whistle-stop tour, gowithYamo will be taking you on a journey into the significance of Tigers in Chinese culture, showing you stunning collections of Chinese art around the world.
The Chinese zodiac (shengxiao) have 12 signs, each represented by a different animal. Shengxiao translates as 'born resembling' and describes the belief that people inherit traits of the animal they fall under. Unlike the fixed Gregorian calendar that dictates January 1st as the first day of the year, the Lunar New Year follows the moon's phases, with months representing moon cycles. The Lunar New Year begins with the rise of the second new moon after the winter solstice and this year is the year of the Tiger.
In traditional Chinese culture, tigers are a symbol of luck, courage and power. The tiger is an ancient symbol representing yang or positive energy and is associated with the sun, summer and fire. They are known as the king of beasts and symbolise power, royalty, protection and a degree of unpredictability. This fearless creature features heavily in Chinese classical literature and performance art, and dates back over 6,000 years to the Neolithic Age. Tigers were featured on bronze ware, jade and gold ornaments as talisman or tiger shaped tokens as well as in porcelain ceramic work.
Tigers were incorporated into shadow puppetry and used to tell stories and folktales starting in the Han Dynasty. They were popular in every province and quickly became a people’s art form in the working class due to their portability and simplicity. This beautiful, more high-profile puppet was made in the 19th or 20th century and was comprised of eight separate hand-painted pieces with movable joints.
This ink painting dated back to the 18th century is part of a larger collection at the Shanghai Museum sent from the Kyushu National Museum in Japan. The soft brush strokes used culminate in a vicious but regal-looking tiger.
You can find more Chinese art collections to satiate your appetite at:
The Wallace Collection
In celebration of Chinese New Year, The Wallace Collection are hosting a range of events, the highlight being Tiger Tales, a family-event taking you on a storytelling journey through the collection and finishing with an opportunity to make your own artwork inspired by the exhibition.
The British Museum
Whose Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery of China and South Asia presents the histories of China from 5000BC to the present including painting, prints, jade, bronze, lacquer and ceramic work.
The Shanghai Museum
Who have recently opened an exhibition focused around the year of the Tiger named ‘A Joyous New Year: China-Japan ExhibitionCelebrating the Year of the Tiger’.
The Ashmolean Gallery
Who are running a series of free craft workshops for children aged 3+ to celebrate the year of the tiger.
We hope we have sparked your interest and taught you something new about the year of the tiger and the significance of tigers in ancient Chinese art.
