十八世紀 五彩武松打虎像

Seated astride a crouching tiger, turned to the left, one arm holding the tiger and the other brandishing a spear, dressed in a colourful coat leaving his arms and chest bare, his face dramatically painted in vivid colours, the tiger subdued with head raised and mouth open, his fur in vibrant tones of yellow with black striations.

Compare with a famille verte figure of the Luohan Bhadra riding a tiger, formerly in the collection of Léon Fould (1839-1924), illustrated in Henri D'Ardenne de Tizac, Les Animaux dans l'Art Chinois, Paris, 1922, pl. XLVII. It later entered the collection of Jacob Goldschmidt (1882-1955), Berlin, and was exhibited at the exhibition Chinesische Kunst, Berlin, 1929, p. 348, cat. no. 946, subsequently sold in Christie's London, 29 June 1938, lot 40.

Wu Song

Wu Song (Chinese: 武松; pinyin: Wǔ Sōng), also known as Second Brother Wu (武二郎; Wǔ Èrláng), is a legendary hero recounted since the 13th century; and one of the well-known fictional characters in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classic Novels in Chinese literature.

Slaying the tiger

On the way, he passes by an inn near Ridge, which puts out a banner that reads "After Three Bowls, Do Not Cross the Ridge", and goes in for a break. The innkeeper explains that the inn's home-brewed wine is so strong that customers would get drunk after having three bowls and could not cross the ridge ahead. Still sober after three bowls, Wu Song demands more.

Nearing the ridge, Wu Song spots an official notice warning of a tiger ahead. As he moves on, he starts to feel the effects of the wine. So, he takes a nap on a big rock. As he falls asleep, the tiger leaps out from the woods, shocking him out of his stupor. After narrowly dodging the tiger's first three charges, Wu Song attempts to fight back but breaks his staff on a tree. Unarmed, he summons all his might and manages to pin the tiger face down with his arms. He then rains blows on its head using his bare fists. After punching the tiger unconscious, he picks up his broken staff and whacks the tiger till he is sure it is dead.