Red Orchard Rugs custom hand hooked rugs Kristina van den Beemt Burnett kvdbburnett@gmail.com _____________________________________ Year of the Tiger (detail) At Christmas, my friend Jan gave me a calendar of Japanese prints with an elegant tiger on the cover, celebrating 2010, the Year of the Tiger. That tiger led me to research the 18th century Japanese fascination with tigers as symbols of power and beauty. My favorite was a smiling, curvaceous female licking her paw by Ito Jakucho (1715 - 1800, Kyoto). Shortly after I began this rug, my son Joe and his Japanese wife, Yuki, announced they are expecting their first child in October and reminded us the child will be born in the Year of the Tiger, an auspicious sign. The child will bring luck, possess a brave heart, and will act as a protection against evil. As I worked on this project, I summoned my most powerful and beautiful motherly and grandmotherly karma and hooked it into the fiber of the piece, for this, my first grandchild. Of course, this rug will be his. mailto:kristina.vandenbeemt@gmail.commailto:kristina.vandenbeemt@gmail.comshapeimage_1_link_0shapeimage_1_link_1