Currently not on view
Tiger and Bamboo
Ganku 岸駒, 1749 or 1756–1839
Japanese
Edo period, 1603–1868
2017-196
Ganku was known for his representations of tigers—he was so interested in them that he asked a Chinese merchant to obtain a tiger skull, legs, and pelt for him. Through close observation of these specimens, he perfected his depiction. Placing the skull under the tiger pelt, Ganku noticed that tigers have flatter heads than domestic cats do. The artist painstakingly painted each hair of the tiger to evoke the softness of its fur, a detail he no doubt noticed by handling his treasured pelt.
Information
Title
Tiger and Bamboo
Maker
Medium
Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk
Dimensions
Painting: 146 × 81.4 cm (57 1/2 × 32 1/16 in.)
Mount: 220 × 98.5 cm (86 5/8 × 38 3/4 in.)
Credit Line
Museum purchase, Mary Trumbull Adams Art Fund
Object Number
2017-196
Place Made
Asia, Japan
Signatures
Signed: Echizen no suke Ganku” 越前介岸駒
Culture
Period
Materials
Techniques
–2017 Seikado Gallery (Kyoto, Japan), sold to the Princeton University Art Museum, 2017.
