Tiger by Horiyama

Some pieces don't need much said about them. This full back tiger, completed by Horiyama, is one of them.

The tiger is rendered in the classic Japanese style; mouth open mid-roar, claws extended, moving down through a rolling wave at the base of the spine. Bamboo leaves sit at the shoulders in a sharp green, the one real break from the black, grey and burnt orange that carry the rest of the piece.

The tiger holds its own place in Japanese tattooing, separate from the dragon or the koi, traditionally read as a symbol of courage, and a guardian against illness and bad luck. Tigers were never native to Japan, so early depictions were based on imported paintings rather than life, which is part of why the traditional tiger looks the way it does, exaggerated stripes, wide eyes, a look that's not quite realistic. That stylisation has stuck, and it's what makes a tiger like this instantly readable as Japanese work rather than realism.

If you're considering something on this scale, get in touch and we can talk through what that process looks like.