New Year picture
Encyclopedia
A New Year picture is an important and popular Banhua
in China. It is a form of Chinese coloured woodblock printing
, for decoration during the Chinese New Year
Holiday.
fashioned during the Qin Dynasty
. Later, more subjects, such as convention
s, carnival
s, the Kitchen God
, women and babies were included. Customarily, as each Chinese New Year
arrives, every family modifies its New Year picture in order to "say goodbye to the Past and welcome the Future" (Chinese: 辞旧迎新).
In the 19th century Nianhua were massed produced and displayed as a new medium for the majority of Chinese who could not read. They often depicted the Chinese point of view of events.
They were used for propaganda purposes, to create patriotic sentiment, many Nianhua were produced during the Boxer Rebellion
depicting the Muslim Kansu Brave forces of General Dong Fuxiang
, showing them as victorious over the 8 nation alliance of the western powers and Japan.
The most famous production places for New Year Pictures in China are Sichuan, Tianjin, Shandong, and Suzhou. Among the best four, Yangliuqing, from Tianjin was regarded as the greatest. Yanliuqing’s paintings were first produced between 1573 and 1620.
The New Year Pictures in Sichuan were mostly come from Mianzhu. Mianzhu’s New Year Pictures was different from other places’. Mianzhu’s has its own rules to produce the New Year Pictures. It requires symmetry, completeness, Equilibrium, clear in the picture and contains a moral meaning. It originates from earlier Song Dynasty and booming in late Ming and early Qing Dynasty. In its prosperous time, there were more than 300 workshops in Mianzhu. In addition, the production were transported and sold not only in different parts of China, but also sold to India, Japan and other countries.
As the development of the times, people’s aesthetic standard was changing by the influence of modern arts. Most of New Year Pictures were lack of imagination. Moreover, people tend to consider that door god was too scared to hang in home. They pursue something more artistic. At the middle of 1980s, the sales amount of New Year Pictures in Mianzhu was around five hundred thousand. However, the number dropped sharply since early 1990s.
Banhua
Banhua is the Chinese umbrella term for any printed art objects, and especially for those made by woodblock printing, the term used for woodcuts from Asia.-History:...
in China. It is a form of Chinese coloured woodblock printing
Woodblock printing
Woodblock printing is a technique for printing text, images or patterns used widely throughout East Asia and originating in China in antiquity as a method of printing on textiles and later paper....
, for decoration during the Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration...
Holiday.
Background
Its original form was a picture of a door godDoor god
A door god is a Chinese decoration placed on each side of an entry to a temple, home, business, etc., which is believed to keep evil spirits from entering....
fashioned during the Qin Dynasty
Qin Dynasty
The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC. The Qin state derived its name from its heartland of Qin, in modern-day Shaanxi. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the 4th century BC, during the Warring...
. Later, more subjects, such as convention
Convention (meeting)
A convention, in the sense of a meeting, is a gathering of individuals who meet at an arranged place and time in order to discuss or engage in some common interest. The most common conventions are based upon industry, profession, and fandom...
s, carnival
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
s, the Kitchen God
Kitchen God
In Chinese folk religion and Chinese mythology, the Kitchen God, named Zao Jun or Zao Shen , is the most important of a plethora of Chinese domestic gods that protect the hearth and family with the addition of being celebrated...
, women and babies were included. Customarily, as each Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration...
arrives, every family modifies its New Year picture in order to "say goodbye to the Past and welcome the Future" (Chinese: 辞旧迎新).
In the 19th century Nianhua were massed produced and displayed as a new medium for the majority of Chinese who could not read. They often depicted the Chinese point of view of events.
They were used for propaganda purposes, to create patriotic sentiment, many Nianhua were produced during the Boxer Rebellion
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Uprising by some historians or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in northern China, was a proto-nationalist movement by the "Righteous Harmony Society" , or "Righteous Fists of Harmony" or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists" , in China between...
depicting the Muslim Kansu Brave forces of General Dong Fuxiang
Dong Fuxiang
Dong Fuxiang , a Chinese, was born Gansu, China. He commanded an army of Chinese Muslim soldiers, which included the later Ma clique generals Ma Anliang and Ma Fuxiang. According to the Western calendar, his birth date is in 1839.- Religion :Conflicting accounts are given about his religion and...
, showing them as victorious over the 8 nation alliance of the western powers and Japan.
The most famous production places for New Year Pictures in China are Sichuan, Tianjin, Shandong, and Suzhou. Among the best four, Yangliuqing, from Tianjin was regarded as the greatest. Yanliuqing’s paintings were first produced between 1573 and 1620.
The New Year Pictures in Sichuan were mostly come from Mianzhu. Mianzhu’s New Year Pictures was different from other places’. Mianzhu’s has its own rules to produce the New Year Pictures. It requires symmetry, completeness, Equilibrium, clear in the picture and contains a moral meaning. It originates from earlier Song Dynasty and booming in late Ming and early Qing Dynasty. In its prosperous time, there were more than 300 workshops in Mianzhu. In addition, the production were transported and sold not only in different parts of China, but also sold to India, Japan and other countries.
As the development of the times, people’s aesthetic standard was changing by the influence of modern arts. Most of New Year Pictures were lack of imagination. Moreover, people tend to consider that door god was too scared to hang in home. They pursue something more artistic. At the middle of 1980s, the sales amount of New Year Pictures in Mianzhu was around five hundred thousand. However, the number dropped sharply since early 1990s.