Scarf "TIGER AND MAGPIES" silk 65x65 on a orange background

Each nation has its most beloved animal. For Koreans, this animal is the tiger. It appears in countless proverbs, fairy tales, sayings, and legends.

A fearsome sorcerer and a shapeshifter, kind and not too bright, ungrateful and majestic... There are so many words that can describe the many aspects of the Korean tiger. Koreans know the tiger's character through and through, down to the last stripe, which is why this animal plays so many diverse roles in Korean folklore.

The tiger has had symbolic value for Korean culture since time immemorial. Back in the early 20th century, you would often see the image of a tiger painted on the front door of Korean homes and administrative buildings. This was considered a good omen, and a charm against evil spirits and bad events. This may seem like a naive superstition today, but even so, this tradition has given rise to a tremendous movement in Korean art and creative work, where this symbolic animal gets depicted with both love and reverence.

During the Joseon Kingdom period, people would hang tiger portraits on the front door on New Year's Even, to chase away evil spirits and prevent the intrusion of negative energy. The tiger would often get accompanied by magpies, signifying the household's request for good news only. Our silk shawl, created to celebrate the upcoming Year of the Tiger, 2022, also features this protective Tiger, ready to fight evil spirits, and his friends the Magpies.