24” x12” x7”
These vintage "front porch" folk art Tiger carvings are from the island Java, in Indonesia.

Each is made from a single piece of teak root resembling a shape that the carver could already see the Tiger form within before beginning the sculpture. There are a few groups and you can tell that some of these tigers were carved by the same person, probably over a long period of time, for fun, and to be used for personal home decoration. 

In Java we see many different versions of these whimsical cats (stone, wood, plaster, batik on fabric, paintings, and more) as the Tiger for centuries has traditionally been viewed not just as wild beasts, but as protectors linked to village boundaries, ancestral spirits, and forest guardians. Often acting as a revered mediator between humans, ancestors, and the unseen spiritual world. 

These tigers are pure folk art, silly, eccentric, made by someone without training, to be used as decorations, and while they certainly do not resemble some of the more serious traditional motifs found in this part of the world, the symbolism and centuries of cultural history are still inherent in each piece.