Beasts of Legend

Featuring beautiful and significant prints, scrolls, textiles, and three-dimensional works drawn from the Worcester Art Museum, MA, as well as from major American and international collections, this book traces the shared myths that shaped the representation of these animals while acknowledging and highlighting their distinct regional meanings.It explores the dragon’s connections to water, wisdom and sovereignty; the tiger’s symbolism of courage and protection; and the monkey’s shifting identity as trickster and demonqueller across East Asian art from the 14th century to the present.Combines iconic examples of works by Japanese and Chinese masters including Nishimura Shigenaga, Kano Naonobu, and Tsukioka Yoshitoshi and contemporary artists and print practitioners from China, Japan, and Korea, including Mu Pan.