A two-panel Japanese silk screen in late 19th century. Dragon and tiger. The left panel painting depicts a dragon in ink and color on silk, signed and sealed by 东方雄; The right panel painting features a tiger in ink on silk, signed and sealed by 儿玉石峰. Both artists were known for their Nanga style, a school of Japanese painting which flourished in the late Edo period, sharing an admiration for traditional Chinese culture. Thus both paintings exhibit a shared stylistic influence from the Chinese Ming and Song dynasties.
As the dragon and tiger govern the elemental forces of wind and rain, they were revered as rulers of the cosmos and the natural world. Screen with this symbolic pairing was believed to bring about the blessings of rain and peace.
