Chinese Tiger Statue

Chinese characters run along the back and flanks of this little crouching tiger, engraved into its aged golden surface from the neck to the hip. The tiger rests on its front paws with its chest low and its head raised, its tail curled tight behind it, and a small metal ring passes through the curl so it can hang from keys or a bag.

A pocket-sized tiger with an old form

The crouching pose and the inscription recall the bronze tiger tallies of ancient China, small tiger figures inscribed with text that were used to confirm military orders. Here the shape becomes a charm to carry every day. A fine line runs down the middle of the head, and the paws, ears and tail fur are picked out in small engraved details that catch the light. In Chinese tradition the tiger is a guardian animal, and our article can we keep a tiger statue at home looks at the beliefs around tiger figures. Larger pieces stand in our tiger statue collection.

Size and material

The tiger is made of copper and measures 4.5x2x1.8cm, small enough to hold between two fingers. It weighs 22g, light enough for a key ring.