Door God Print

Item number 1090/8 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

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Description

Depicted is a military door god (wu menshen; 武门神) named Yuchi Gong (尉迟恭). His orange and red face has a black mouth, a small black goatee, a wide, horizontal, black moustache, and a thick, black beard; shown wearing a multi-coloured robe with orange shoes. In both hands he holds a long stick that has a yellow pentagonal shape on top with blue, green, and purple beads below. Eight blue-feathered arrows that have purple shafts are at his right side. Figure is standing at a slight angle facing to viewer's right. The background is green with white floating clouds. The print is vertically rectangular.

History Of Use

Known as menshen (门神, 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 (春节) 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.

Iconographic Meaning

Military door god Yuchi Gong (尉迟恭), often paired with another door god Qin Qiong (秦琼), were the generals of the Tang Dynasty emperor Tang Taizong (唐太宗). These generals are popular representations of military door gods, and their looks are usually contrasting. Yuchi Gong (尉迟恭), who normally is placed on the left side, looks fierce as compared to Qin Qiong (秦琼), who is normally placed on the right side, as a pair. They face each other to prevent spirits from passing through the doors. Nianhua (年画, new year pictures) are usually printed on plain backgrounds, but some prints from Yangliuqing (杨柳青, known for the production of nianhua) have background designs with patterns like this print, with white floating clouds on a green background. While the cloud patterns serve as decorative elements of the image, they also indicate the door gods’ responsibility of protecting people from the heaven above the clouds. The Yangliuqing style is known for its finishing details, especially on the face.

Narrative

This print is paired with another print (1090/10) and together, they are called Military Door Gods Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong (秦琼尉迟恭). This set of prints (1090/1-13) was collected by Abbie Lyon Sharman, the sister of the donor’s grandmother, Sophia Lyon Fahs.