Metaphor
In traditional East Asian painting, the figure of the magpie/tiger has a long history. The tiger represents the ruling, landowning nobility, while the magpie (harassing the tiger from a low-hanging, pine tree branch) represents the poorer folk, and farming classes. Traditionally, this style of tiger is usually an amalgam of Asian tigers, and is painted with spots as well as stripes. This tiger is carved from rich Portoro marble from Portovenere, Italy. Portoro marble is black, but generously laced with rich veins of gold and pale yellow streaks. This stone would be ideal for an exclusive bank vault, or Nero’s hot tub. In a rare example of artistic serendipity, this example boasts faint, pale spots beneath the surface of the marble, perfectly reflecting the magpie/tiger’s historical DNA of stripes and spots. The white magpie is carved from Greek, white marble. The base is Indus Valley gold limestone, smooth in the front (future,) but rough in the past.
Greek White Marble
Italian Portoro Marble
36 x 20”
325 lbs
Price on request