The Civil Official Door Guards “Five Great Fortunes” and “Longevity”
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.While images of military figures guard doors that face onto the street, those of civil officials with benign faces and quiet dignity are placed on inner doors. This pair of door guards wears robes decorated with a crane, emblematic of the highest rank in the civil service system. On the tray held by the right-hand official stands a deer (lu), which is homophonic with the Chinese character for “emoluments.” On the tray in the left-hand print is a qilin, a legendary animal that carries a variety of felicitous associations. In the clouds issuing from the animals’ mouths are five red bats (wu hong fu), a rebus for the “five great fortunes:” longevity, wealth, health, love of virtue, and a peaceful death.
Artwork Details
- Wufu pengshou wenmenshen
- Title: The Civil Official Door Guards “Five Great Fortunes” and “Longevity”
- Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
- Date: early 20th century
- Culture: China
- Medium: Woodblock print; ink and color on paper with additional hand coloring
- Dimensions: Image: 20 13/16 x 11 7/8 in. (52.8 x 30.1 cm)
Overall: 27 1/16 x 20 1/16 in. (68.8 x 51 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: On loan from the British Museum
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art