L380xW260mm, China
This is a black and white line print from the Yang Jia Bu school of new year print. The Yang Jia Bu school is set in a small village in the Shan Dong province, it is most flourished in the Qing dynasty. The school is famous for the subject matter of the prints, new subjects are added yearly with reflection to the society and as time goes by became a source of documented life of the commons.
The two phrases on the print, “花能解語 晚玉生香” has been quoted in a few of the notable Chinese literature, The Romance of The West Chamber, Water Margin, The Golden Lotus and The Dream of the Red Chamber. The phrase were praises to a woman; a woman can be as beautiful as a flower but the flower cannot understand words, a woman can be as beautiful as a piece of jade but jade is without fragrance.
Mountain Folkcraft 