Spirit Tiger
'Spirit Tiger'
Yangjiabu, Shandong
51 x 80 cm
modern reprint of early 20th century image
As seen in the example of Zhong Kui, people believed that the world was filled with both gods and demons, positive energy (yang) and negative energy (yin). Many nianhua are intended to encourage the positive and control the negative, including this one which shows a brilliant tiger. The tiger was considered a powerful yang agent, and so could be used in much the same way as a Zhong Kui image - that is to ward of negative forces in the environment.
copyright 2003
