Military Door Gods with Guandao Item Number: Edz986 a-b from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Pair of rectangular paper prints, each printed in black outline, with an armed military door god (wu menshen; 武門神), a general with a guandao pole weapon (立刀將軍) coloured in red, green and yellow; faces are red-orange. Figures are 58 cm high. Paper left white in some spots. The name of the print shop, 志昌 (zi3 coeng1/ Zhì chāng) appears on the figure's hanging ornament. The figures would normally be hung facing each other.

History Of Use

Known as menshen (門神, door gods), they are considered to protect homes from evil spirits. Prints depicting them are usually displayed on the door inside and outside the house during the Chinese Spring Festival (春節) or Lunar New Year. Such prints are thus known as nianhua (年画, new year pictures). Military door gods would be displayed on the external doors of the home. They are also used on doors of temples and ancestral halls.

Iconographic Meaning

Military Door Gods with Guandao (立刀將軍). Also known as Door Gods Guangong (關公門神, Guangong menshen), some people believe that this type of door god derives from the character in Water Margin (Shuihu zhuan, 水滸傳), Guan Sheng (関勝) who uses a large broadsword (大刀).

Item History

What

Name
Military Door Gods with Guandao
Identification Number
Edz986 a-b
Type of Item
print
Manufacturing Technique
machine made ?, stencilled and woodblock printed
Overall
height 67.1 cm, width 38.0 cm
Image
height 58.0 cm

Who

Culture
Chinese
Previous Owner
Graham E. Johnson
Received from
Graham E. Johnson (Donor)

Where

Holding Institution
MOA: University of British Columbia
Made in
Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong, China

When

Creation Date
before 1976
Collection Date
between 1967 and 1976
Ownership Date
before March 9, 1977
Acquisition Date
on March 9, 1977

Other

Item Classes
works on paper
Condition
good
Accession Number
0366/0013