Good Luck Flag with Tiger art

[MichaelB]

Like many people who collect good luck flags, I enjoy the examples that have art drawn on them. Artwork images make the flag much more personal, often only having meaning between the person drawing the picture and the person receiving the flag. On the other hand, flags with tigers drawn or painted on them often have a general meaning that could be understood by almost anyone viewing the picture. For instance, the tiger and the dragon represent Yin and Yang in Asian culture. The I Ching describes a Yin way and Yang way; a tiger way and a dragon way. The tiger is the Yin character, while the dragon is the Yang- they have always been enemies of one another, opposites bringing about change. The white tiger constellation in the west opposes the azure dragon constellation in the east. While they both cause change of some kind, the dragon's strength and power is more visible and outward, while the tiger's strength is more hidden. He is reserved, until the last moment before being revealed and releasing his strength in a burst of energy- in a pounce! Keeping one's intent secret or hidden until just the right moment of attack, is the tiger's strength. Various Japanese gods of war also utilized the tiger for various purposes. The 14th century samurai, Kusunoki Masashige was said to have a tiger as his personal messenger. The tiger also represented the astute and powerful hunter, a cunning opponent in the field. There were of course other admirable character traits of the tiger that the military man would have tried to emulate. These are just a few examples of how the tiger and his influence were intertwined within Japanese culture. I recently acquired a good luck flag with a tiger image drawn on it. I will post it in the next few pages for you all to see.

MichaelB

[MichaelB]

I did not see a presentation line or dedication on this flag. Perhaps some of the other guys here will be able to pick one out. There are quite a few slogans written on this flag as well as a number of people signing with the "Kasai" surname. They may have all come from the same small township or village.
MichaelB

[MichaelB]

This is a close up of the tiger art. Some are quite good and offer a good representation of a tiger, while others are more amateurish. Others even look more like "kitty cats" than they do tigers.

MichaelB

[Alan M]

Hi Michael , a really nice flag , thanks for sharing . Funnily enough , i like the less elaborate , more basic types of drawing /artwork , such as the one on your flag , as in my opinion , you can imagine them being put on the flag by families and the general public ....not everyone is a top artist . Just seems to make them a little more authentic , although , of course , great artwork is very appealing and eye catching !

[MichaelB]

Hi Alan-
I can't disagree with you a bit on that. Someone with talent can really make the tigers on some of these flags look amazing. I have heard that some families actually hired skilled artists to paint or draw tigers on their relative's flags. I don't know if that is true, but it could be plausible. On the other hand, Japanese culture was very much caught up in observing and taking note of nature. It became a hobby of sorts for people to draw and paint these kinds of things, so perhaps more people in general had this ability and therefore exercised it when asked. In any case, you can imagine too the special meaning and care behind the simple image drawn by ones friend or relative who was doing their "less than professional" best.

MichaelB

[Alan M]

Hi Michael , the occasional hiring of skilled artists is something i have not perceived before but certainly sounds more than plausible to me , as the quality of some of the work on these flags is extremely good .

[Geoff Ward]

Great points! I think with the fact that these Items were being sent with the recipients to fight and possibly die for their country and Emperor, any form of encouragement for strength and bravery would have been welcomed regardless of the talents of the artist.Sometimes even small drawings can be inspiring
here is a tiny image on a flag I obtained several years back and never noticed until I was trying to decide on which flag I would have framed.It features a Samurai on horseback charging forward with a lance.You can even see the dirt flying from the horses hooves.Even though it is tiny it conveys strong emotional convictions.
Regards,Geoff

[SteveR]

Damn Jeff.
Get both of them framed. ( I know it is expensive )
I would go with the warrior on the horse my self.
I have always liked action in military art renderings.
I like females and American Western images when I do my own art work.

[SteveR]

Great points! I think with the fact that these Items were being sent with the recipients to fight and possibly die for their country and Emperor, any form of encouragement for strength and bravery would have been welcomed regardless of the talents of the artist.Sometimes even small drawings can be inspiring
here is a tiny image on a flag I obtained several years back and never noticed until I was trying to decide on which flag I would have framed.It features a Samurai on horseback charging forward with a lance.You can even see the dirt flying from the horses hooves.Even though it is tiny it conveys strong emotional convictions.
Regards,Geoff

The Japanese are, by culture, artistic people. Their appreciation of the beauty and simplicity of things is remarkable.

[Geoff Ward]