A BLUE-AND-WHITE PORCELAIN BOTTLE VASE

The feline face, long vertical stripes and long tail identify the beast with those markings as a tiger, or horang’i, which is regarded as both a guardian that wards away evil spirits and a sacred creature that brings good fortune. Though not one of the Four Directional Deities, or Sasin—a term referring to the mythical animals guarding the four cardinal directions: Azure Dragon of the East, White Tiger of the West, Black Tortoise-and-Serpent of the North and Vermilion Bird of the South—the tiger has long been associated with Korea and Korean culture, and it figures in Korea’s foundation mythology. In fact, the oldest Korean historical records that mention the tiger associate it with Dangun, Korea’s legendary founding father. In blue-and-white jars and folk paintings, the tiger is often shown together with a pine tree, a magpie, or both (See In Blue and White, p. 137, no. 99, and pp. 210-213, nos. 176-180).