A Kakiemon-type pair of tigers.19th/20th century
A Kakiemon-type pair of tigers decorated in yellow and blue enamels, the fur in iron-black, seated on tree stump bases decorated in iron-red. 19th/20th century. (2)
Height 26.4 and 25.6 cm
Porcelain sculptures were one genre of the items exported to Europe in the late 17th century, where they decorated royal palaces. Such pairs of tigers on a tree stump are housed today in the library of the castle of Drottningholm (Ake Setterwall et. al., The Chinese Pavilion at Drottningholm, Malmö 1972, colour plate on page 297) and Drayton House (John Ayers et al., Porcelain for Palaces, London 1990, no. 168). Other such animals were sold at Christie's, London 19.7.1965, lot 96 and Christie's, London 18.2.1975, lot 78.
On all of these animals the fur is rendered by short strokes arranged in groups of four lines and in spirals. The tree stump displays clusters of leaves (probably bamboo) and pine needles in iron-red and Kakiemon enamels.
Only one figure of a tiger diverging from this decorative pattern and very similar to the animals offered here was found. It was sold at Christie's South Kensington, London, 16.5.2012, lot 243. The fur is painted in much denser stripes and the tree stump is glazed brown and shows no pictorial details.