Save the Tiger on rue de Lille!
A tiger keeps watch, rue de Lille.
Painted in the early 18th century by the Chinese master Gao Qipei (1660 - 1734), this rare work is now in the Inalco collections. Created using a singular technique - the artist painting with his fingers - it testifies to a free approach to Chinese scholarly painting.
But time has left its mark.
Fragilized, the work now requires urgent restoration in order to be preserved and passed on.
Why restore the Tiger?
Restoring this work means:
- Preserving a rare testimony to 18th-century Chinese painting;
- Transmitting an exceptional artistic and cultural heritage;
- Valuing the collections of Inalco and its historic site on the rue de Lille.
Each contribution helps to keep this heritage alive and ensure its transmission.
Follow the restoration
As this restoration progresses, go behind the scenes of the work carried out on the work thanks to Carnets du Tigre.
Each month, receive news of the restoration: progress of interventions, gestures of the restorer, key stages in the process.
The Carnets also offer insights to better understand the work and its context: Chinese painting in Gao Qipei's time, the place of the tiger in the imagination and traditions, or the specificities of techniques on paper and silk.
A way to follow, over time, the work's transformation while deepening knowledge of this heritage.
Supporting restoration
By supporting this campaign, you are participating directly in the restoration of the work, as well as in the enhancement and influence of Inalco's heritage.
The Inalco Foundation expresses its gratitude to its patrons through special attentions, thought of as extensions of the bond created with the work.
From €100
Objects edited around the Tiger, designed as traces of this commitment.
From €500
A personalized certificate of patronage
An invitation to an exceptional private visit on May 6, 2026
For the highest levels of support
A high-end reproduction of the Tiger after restoration
A privileged meeting with
The inscription of the patron's name next to the work.
By becoming a patron, you are helping to preserve an exceptional work of art and bring a unique heritage to life.
Every donation, regardless of the amount, helps to save the Tiger.
By supporting this campaign, you are taking part in a process of transmission: allowing this work to pass through time and continue to be viewed, studied and shared.