New Year Zodiac – Animals in FAAM

It is that time of the year when we remember about the Chinese Zodiac animals.  In this exhibition, we search for zodiac animals in works from the museum collection. Animals considered “auspicious” according to the Zodiac may be found playing soccer, eating grasses or sometimes beaten by human beings – showing a diverse range of images and meanings across Asia.

Let’s try to find where and how the animals (the rat, ox, tiger, hare, dragon, serpent, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and boar) are hiding in the works by referring to a cover of the January issue of “Ajibi News (newsletter of the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum)”.

Starting from the New Year (2 January–), you can draw “FAAM Animal Omikuji (random fortunes)” in the gallery.  The animal will tell your fortune in 2010 in connection to the work.

Tigers in Asian Folk Crafts

Tigers have been a popular motif in the folk prints of Asia, especially in Chinese cultures where they have been depicted often in New Year Picture (Nianhua).  Tigers have also appeared in ancient stories and legends.  The Children’s toys and pillows on view here are not part of the museum collection, but have been assembled to show how this year’s zodiac sign, tiger, is deeply integrated in the lives of people in Asia.