2022 is the year of Nong yin, the zodiac tiger. "The Tiger, the Chief of a Hundred Beasts".
Since ancient times, the tiger that "shocks the mountains and forests and makes the beasts fearful" has been deeply worshipped by the Chinese people, and people regard it as the king of the beasts.
The tiger totem culture of ancient agricultural society, which originated from nature worship, originated quite early.
The ancestors worshipped the tiger as the embodiment of justice, bravery, and majesty, believing that it could "drive away evil and ward off evil" and had the meaning of protecting the gods. In ancient times, the tiger was one of the "four beasts".
▲Ming Zhao Ruyin "Wind Forest Tiger Picture Scroll" (partial)
National Palace Museum, Taipei
In the course of historical development, in addition to acting as a protective deity for "driving away evil and blessings", the mighty tiger has gradually become a symbol of power and strength.
The image of the tiger is commonly found around the emperor and general, and its status has even been above the imperial symbol of the "dragon".
▲Southern Song Dynasty Muxi (biography) "Dragon and Tiger Diagram" (partial)
Cleveland Museum of Art
The "Tiger Charm", which is shaped by a tiger and was born in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, is an important relic of the ancient emperors to dispatch troops.
As early as the Three Kingdoms period, people began to praise heroes with "five tiger generals", and words such as tiger generals and tiger divisions have been used to this day.
▲ The Western Han Dynasty Tangyang Marquis Wrong Silver Bronze Tiger Symbol (now in the National Museum) is a military transfer object of the Western Han Dynasty, and this symbol is the only one-in-one princely prince full symbol in the Western Han Dynasty.
In folk culture, the figure of the tiger can be seen everywhere. The tiger head hat worn by children and the tiger head boots worn by their feet convey the parents' desire for their children to grow up strong and brave.
▲ Tiger head shoes
Every spring festival, the "town house god tiger" that vividly appears in the window flowers and New Year paintings is the guardian of the peace and happiness of thousands of households.
▲ "Tiger Town House" New Year painting
In some southern provinces, the pronunciation of "tiger" in the dialect is similar to that of "fu". Therefore, in the local area, "tiger" is equivalent to "blessing".
If the interpretation of the tiger is extended to the zodiac, some people also think that people born in the year of the tiger, cheerful and infectious, will become the focus of attention in the crowd.
▲▲Modern Qi Baishi 《Twelve Genera Diagram》 (Partial)
Collection of Beijing Academy of Painting
Tiger, agile and majestic, solemn and beautiful. After thousands of years of cultural precipitation, the tiger has become an auspicious symbol of "wisdom", "courage" and "strength".
If the dragon is a majestic and domineering totem created by our ancestors with imagination, then the tiger is a truly visible and perceptible totem that nature gives us.
2022 has arrived, and the Spring Festival of the Year of the Tiger in the Lunar Calendar is also just around the corner.
Many people pay attention to the new year to get a good start. For Chinese, red envelopes are probably indispensable auspicious things for retiring the old and welcoming the new.
Guanfu Culture continues the tradition of red envelopes in the Year of the Ox, and launches the 2022 "Golden Red Envelopes for the Year of the Tiger" according to the collection of "Warring States Golden Tiger Ornaments".
In this golden red envelope for the Year of the Tiger, we have captured the shape and temperament characteristics of the cultural relics [Warring States Golden Tiger Ornament] in the Collection of the Guanfu Museum, trying to portray the mighty posture of the tiger and the beauty of strength.
With the tiger as the core, coupled with the characteristics of 999 pure gold, the craftsmen naturally highlight the demeanor and movement of the tiger with a freehand technique to create the main body of this 2022 golden red envelope in the Year of the Tiger.
The external red envelope is decorated with the character "Fu" in Mr. Ma Weidu's handwritten handwriting.
In addition, the classic ornaments of the cultural relics [Qing Jiaqing - Huangdi Pastel Gold Brocade Bag Bottle] and "Qing Dynasty - Rosewood Relief Dragon and Phoenix Pattern Box" are also cited, enriching the overall design of the red packet.
Receiving red envelopes at the beginning of the new year has the meaning of good luck.
This golden red envelope for the Year of the Tiger is accompanied by a hand-woven Chinese knot, which can be used as a car to hang, or hanging on the bedside, green plants, doors and windows, adding a touch of joy to the New Year.
2022, another new year, I wish you a tiger to add wings, blessed tiger wind!