W230 X H330mm, China
Zhong Kui, the Chinese ghost buster.
Here is the story of Zhong Kui; the Tang dynasty emperor fell gravely ill on an out of court trip, the court doctors tried varies ways of treating him but in vain. One night the emperor dreamed of a small man in red stealing his jewels, when he looked closely he realized it is not a man but a ghost. The emperor was taken aback and right then a large figure wearing a torn hat appeared, the large man grabbed the tiny ghost and put it in his mouth and swallowed him in whole. The emperor was relieved and ask who he was, the large man replied that he was a top scholar but he was found too ugly to be taken up as a court official. He was so upset that he killed himself at the court and since then he had concentrated on catching evil spirits. When the emperor woke up, all the illness has disappeared, he had someone painted Zhong Kui’s figure from the memory of his dream and an officially assigned the task as a ghost buster and the judge of the underworld.
Come to see the actual print and many others at the
New Year Print Exhibition
MOUNTAIN FOLKCRAFT
CHINESE WOOD BLOCK PRINT COLLECTION
Mountain Folkcraft 