Name/Title
Đông Hồ Portfolio Chim Công Thiên Hạ Thái Bình (The Peacock Brings Peace and Prosperity to the World)Entry/Object ID
2019.P-G.078PDescription
Traditional Vietnamese folk woodblock print on plant fibrous paper vertically depicts a centrally placed peacock with open wings, stylized textured feathers, and its head turned in profile. Surrounded by floral forms and Chữ Nôm characters on the left just above the peacock's wing.Context
The peacock a noble, elegant, and beautiful bird, often considered the phoenix of the earth in Vietnamese culture. The red peony, is not only a symbol of elegance but also represents good fortune, wealth, and nobility. The four characters "Thiên Hạ Thái Bình" (Peace and Prosperity in the World), expresses the hope for wealth and prosperity for the family and peace for the world. It expresses the desire for a good life, reflecting optimism and faith in the future. The painting is often displayed in Vietnamese families during Tết (Lunar New Year) as a wish for peace, prosperity and happiness.
From insert in boxset about series, directly transcribed:
A Brief Overview of "Ðông Hồ" Folk Paintings:
The "Dong Ho" folk paintings have been around for nearly 500 years. The themes of these paintings were inspired by everyday life and created by artisans' observations and experiences.
The main themes include:
Congratulatory paintings, which reflect the common wishes of people: a happy family, longevity, wealth, and prosperity, as seen in paintings such as Phú Quý (Wealth and Nobility), Vinh Hoa (Glory), Gà Đàn (Hen and Chicks), Lợn Đàn (Pigs).
Paintings depicting festivals and traditional activities, such as wrestling contests, drum carrying, buffalo fighting, as well as daily life scenes like đánh ghen (a fight between women over a man), hứng dừa (picking coconuts), thầy đồ cóc (the frog teacher), đám cưới chuột (a mouse wedding), and folklore stories such as Trê Cóc Kiện Nhau (Catfish and Frog Suing Each Other), Đinh Bộ Lĩnh (founding emperor of the short-lived Đinh dynasty), and Bà Triệu (legendary Vietnamese heroine).
Over many generations, artisans creatively used available local materials to craft these artworks.
Initially, the images were carved onto wood, usually wood from the thị tree, thừng mực wood, or vàng tâm wood. These carvings were then printed onto dó paper, which had been coated with a special resin. Dó paper is handmade from the bark of the dó tree, while the resin is made from the shells of dead mollusks, cleaned, crushed, and mixed with rice paste. The mixture was applied to the paper with a brush made from dry pine leaves, creating the texture that gives the painting life.
The artisans used only a few natural materials to create the colors: red from clay, green from tràm leaves or copper rust, white from diệp powder, yellow from the hoè tree flowers, and black from ash made from bamboo leaves or rice straw.
The patterns were carefully printed and harmoniously arranged, creating a unique identity. In the rich collection of Vietnamese folk art, the "Dong Ho" paintings stand out as a distinct form of expression, originating from the village of Song Ho in Thuận Thành district, Bắc Ninh province.Collection
Palmeri-Goodstein Research Print CollectionMade/Created
Artist Information
Artist
Tranh Dan GianRole
ArtistLexicon
Search Terms
Longevity, Life, Abundance, Wealth, Luck, Plants, Prosperity, Future, PhoenixDimensions
Height
14-3/4 inWidth
10-3/8 in