Meaning of animals in folkpainting

1. Tiger / Leopard : It means bravery, and if drawn like a magpie, it means good news. In Korean, it is generally believed that good news comes when a magpie cries. So, if a magpie sits on top of a pine tree and there is a leopard underneath it, it means announcing good news in the new spring.

                                         

                                        (leopard and magpie)

(tiger and magpie)

2. Dog: protects the house and prevents disasters. It means happiness and rest in the house. Korean ancestors valued dogs being loyal and not attacking them their masters. There is a story of a dog that shows loyalty, and shows friendly and sacrificial behavior. A person was returning drunk from a party, fell asleep on the river bank, and a nearby fire started. The dog barked furiously at the master. But when the master did not wake up, he hurriedly jumped into the water and rolled over to save the master.

Eventually, the dog died of exhaustion.

(Left ) A painting of a righteous dog. The National Museum of Korea (Right) Jellabuk-do Folk Cultural Heritage No.1

(left) Lee, Am's 'Mother Dog and Puppy' The animal paintings of  Lee, Am(1499~?) show a unique Korean style of painting. Collection : National Museum of Korea. (Right) The author of the dog folktale is unknown, Dogs are the first animals to have lived alongside humans and have a close and close relationship with humans. 

Collection: Gahoe Minhwa Museum (가회 민화 박물관)

3. Cat: The cat was an icon symbolizing, health, and wealth. The picture of a cat and a butterfly contains the meaning of living a long life without changing youth even if you are 70 or 80 years old. Kim,Hong-do captured a small incident that occurred in a peaceful meadow in late spring to the canvas. The sympathy between the cat and the butterfly was maximized on a warm and friendly spring afternoon.

                       Kim, Hong-do(1745~1806)  : A yellow cat playfully teases a butterfly. Collection of  Kansong Art Museum (간송 미술관)

Byeon, Sang-byeok (?~?) < Myojak-Do> in the late Joseon Dynasty depict cats and sparrows. If you draw a cat and a sparrow together, there is a symbol of longevity and wealth.

      Jang,Seung-eop's (1843~1897)cat painting in the late Joseon Dynasty expresses a cat staring at a pair of flying bees amid roses blooming behind an old tree. This is said to be praying for the wealth and prosperity of the parents and the peace of the four seasons.

4. Chickens :  Chicken means success, official high level position. Drawing hen and chicks together means conjugal love and family harmony. In the case of a rooster, the crest shape of the chicken looks like a crown, meaning that the name becomes famous. A rooster is drawn alone, and a hen is drawn with her chicks. The rooster was recognized as a powerful bird that warded off darkness and ushered in the dawn.

A rooster Author unknown 1920. Collection of the National Museum of

Byun,Sang-byeok (1730~?) Mother and chicks, National Museum of Korea.