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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). Civil door gods would be displayed on the inner doors of the home.

Description

Print depicting a male figure, a civilian official door god (加官进宝), one type of civil door gods (wen menshen; 文门神) with a child behind him. Both figures are facing to the viewer's right. He has a white and pink face has a red mouth, a small black goatee, a long black moustache, and a black beard in strands. The male is holding a pot with a small tree with strings of coins. Behind his head is a banner fan with the auspicious writing, 千年富貴, radiating peacock feathers. He is wearing clothing that has red and green shapes on a dark blue background. The child has a white, pink, and light blue face and is wearing orange and yellow clothing. The decorative dark green background has various patterns of white, yellow and blue flowers and fruits. The print is vertically rectangular.

Narrative

This print is paired with another print (1090/6). This set of prints (1090/1-13) was collected by Abbie Lyon Sharman, the sister of the donor’s grandmother, Sophia Lyon Fahs.

Cultural Context

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. The Yangliuqing style is known for finishing details, especially on the face.