China Folk Art Original woodblock new year picture (Four beauties)

Product Description

The new year  pictures convey people's jubilation and expectations of the coming new year.The significance of the New Year pictures is to embody people's psychology, willingness, and diverse pursuits of traditional Chinese New Year events。

Zhuxianzhen WOODBLOCK traditional New Year pictures

Most colletion value! Best gifts for friends,family! Can be framed and decoration room,office to bring good luck,happiness!

The Zhuxianzhen New Year picture also got its name as it is mainly produced in Zhuxianzhen Village near Kaifeng of Central China's Henan Province. The place began to produce New Year pictures in the Song Dynasty, and prospered in the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Famous writer Lu Xun once highly lauded the New Year picture produced in the place, saying: "The carving lines of Zhuxianzhen wood blocks are very macho; it's not elaborately polished, very unlike those in other places. The wood blocks are simple, with no extra adornment. The figure painting has very strong color, without being overbearing. The strong local flavor is typical of wood blocks in North China."

Four beauties of ancient China

 The Four Beauties or Four Great Beauties are four ancientChinesewomen, renowned for their beauty. The scarcity of historical records concerning them meant that much of what is known of them today has been greatly embellished bylegend. They gained their reputation from the influence they exercised over kings and emperors and consequently, the way their actions impactedChinese history. Three of the Four Beauties brought kingdoms to their knees, and the lives of all four ended in tragedy or under mysterious circumstances.

The Four Great Beauties lived in four different dynasties, each hundreds of years apart. In chronological order, they are:

• Xi Shi(c.seventhto sixth century BC,Spring and Autumn Period), said to be so entrancingly beautiful that fish would forget how to swim and sink away from the surface when she walks by.
• Wang Zhaojun(c. first century BC,Western Han Dynasty), said to be so beautiful that her appearance would entice birds in flight to fall from the sky.
• Diaochan(c. third century, LateEastern Han/Three Kingdomsperiod), said to be so luminously lovely that the moon itself would shy away in embarrassment when compared to her face.
• Yang Guifei(**9–**6,Tang Dynasty), said to have a face that puts all flowers to shame.

Xi Shisinks fish                西施沉鱼
Wang Zhaojunentice birds falling  昭君落雁
Diaochaneclipses the moon       貂婵闭月
Yang Guifeishames flowers       贵妃羞花