Hand-Carved Wooden Tiger | Asian Woodcarving ca. 1960-1990

An expressive vintage tiger, carved entirely from wood and hand-finished with black stripes. With a length of approximately 27 cm, the sculpture has a striking presence, with the open mouth, curved tail, and powerful walking posture adding character to the piece.

The tiger is detailed all around. The paws and claws are carved individually, and the head features relief detailing including the eyes, nostrils, ears, and open mouth. Light-colored wooden teeth are set into the mouth. The natural warm wood tone is combined with hand-painted black stripes and a smoothly polished surface.

Hand-carved wooden animals have a long tradition within various Asian craft centers and also became popular as decorative export art during the twentieth century. Given its powerful appearance, the tiger was a favored subject. This piece fits within that tradition of artisanal decorative wood carving and likely dates from the second half of the twentieth century.

Due to the combination of visible craftsmanship, fully realized form, and expressive head, this is a characterful vintage object that will look excellent both as a standalone sculpture and within a collection of folk art or animal figures.

Details:

• Subject: walking tiger with open mouth
• Origin: likely South or Southeast Asia
• Period: presumably ca. 1960-1990
• Material: solid wood
• Technique: hand-carved and hand-painted
• Black painted tiger stripes
• Individually set light-colored teeth
• Length: approx. 27 cm
• Height: approx. 11 cm
• Condition: good vintage condition with signs of wear consistent with age