Traditional New Year picture - Richness and high-ranking office / Peacock (Vietnamese: Chim công)

Southeast Asian Collection

Accession Nr.: 2018.1.10
Type: woodblock print
Date of production:
1960s
Place of production:
Materials/Techniques: paper, woodblock printing, hand coloured
Dimensions: height: 35. 5 cm
width: 25 cm
Created by the Hàng Trống workshop in Vietnam.
The dancing peacock is a symbol of peace and wealth in Vietnamese tradition. The peacock is also considered to be a form of phoenix, but because of the many eyes on its tail, it is also identified with the bodhisattva of mercy, Guanyin, who has eyes on all parts of her body so that she can see and help all those who are suffering. In this picture, the peacock is standing on a rock with its wings outstretched, surrounded by peonies, and next to it is a pair of magpies on a branch. The peony is a lucky flower and the pair of magpies is a symbol of marital fidelity.
Caption: Wealth and high office (富貴高冠) also wishes good luck. The original artist's signature is carved into the printing plate, the writing is not legible due to wear on the plate.
It is a rare woodcut, a New Year's image that augurs wealth and abundance.