Đông Hồ Prints

ドンホー版画 / 17th century– / Style / Popular Prints

The woodblock prints of Vietnam's Đông Hồ village: printed with natural pigments on dó paper coated with ground seashell, New Year pictures like 'The Rat's Wedding' carrying village philosophy in satire and auspice.

Đông Hồ Prints — Đông Hồ print, The Mouse's Wedding — Wikimedia Commons / Public domain — Đông Hồ print, The Mouse's Wedding — Wikimedia Commons / Public domain

Đông Hồ Prints — Đông Hồ print on a historical theme — Wikimedia Commons / Public domain — Đông Hồ print on a historical theme — Wikimedia Commons / Public domain

Đông Hồ Prints — Đông Hồ print, Đại Cát — Wikimedia Commons / Public domain — Đông Hồ print, Đại Cát — Wikimedia Commons / Public domain

At a glance

Visual cues

Shell-powder paper that glimmers
A limited natural palette
Satire through animals
Renewed each New Year

Best used for

New Year promotions told in the village voice of auspice and satire
Animal fables that raise a laugh instead of preaching a lesson

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Dictionary entry

Type: A short inscription cut into the block and left in the margin
Composition: Set the main animal large at center and align the rest in a row
Material: Dó paper coated with shell powder, natural pigments printed color by color
Caution: Reusing the satire as cute animal artwork drains the village philosophy out of it and leaves a souvenir motif.
Further study: the Đông Hồ workshops / dó paper and shell pigment / the contrast with Hàng Trống prints

Related entries

Nianhua (年画)Same Popular Prints lineage.Compare Đông Hồ Prints and Nianhua
Lubok (ルボーク)Same Popular Prints lineage.Compare Đông Hồ Prints and Lubok

Often confused with

Nianhua (年画)compare

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