Yuichi

Four Golden Tigers were painted at Genki Kōbō, the Murakami family kiln in Arita. There will not be a fifth.

The tiger prowls amidst intricate florals, its gaze fierce, its presence commanding. Toshihiko Murakami has given more than four decades to painted Arita porcelain, and every brushstroke and line of gold here was laid by hand — so no two of the four are identical. What first appears decorative reveals, on closer looking, layers of symbolism and meticulous handwork.