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Tiger

Decorative Arts and Design

Augustus Aaron Wilson, a retired lighthouse keeper, is best known for his duck decoys and other small carvings. When the Ringling Brothers circus came to town in 1931, he was inspired by Emyr, said to be the largest tiger in captivity, to carve these tigers from salvaged railroad ties and telephone poles that he kept in his barn. The smaller of these two works is thought to be the earlier attempt.

MEDIUM Painted wood, horsehair or bristles
DATES 1931
DIMENSIONS 36 x 12 x 79 in. (91.4 x 30.5 x 200.7 cm)  (show scale)
ACCESSION NUMBER 1999.26.2
CREDIT LINE Gift of the Guennol Collection
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Carved wooden figure in form of a tiger. Long sleek body with simplified modeling, head raised with mouth open, front legs standing straight and back legs striding. Attached whiskers of horsehair or bristles. Painted orange with white underside and black stripes.
MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view
CAPTION Augustus Aaron Wilson. Tiger, 1931. Painted wood, horsehair or bristles, 36 x 12 x 79 in. (91.4 x 30.5 x 200.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Guennol Collection, 1999.26.2. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: , 1999.26.1_1999.26.2.jpg)
IMAGE group, 1999.26.1_1999.26.2.jpg.
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RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY
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