Chinese Woodblock Illustrations

The Library has acquired over a hundred Chinese Woodblock popular prints, including New Year pictures (年画 nianhua), produced in Suzhou, and predominantly from the 18th and 19th  centuries. These kinds of prints appeared in the Song dynasty and gained popularity during the Ming dynasty before being mass-produced in Qing dynasty. They were displayed on the doors and walls of ordinary people’s house for decoration. Not many of them survived as they were not considered collectable items[i]. The collection is unique in that such an extensive collection cannot be found elsewhere in the UK. Some of the woodblock prints in the SOAS collection are illustrations of historic events, such as Sino-Japanese war and Boxer rebellion, while other depict popular operatic stories. The New Year pictures include common themes such as Door gods, Kitchen gods and the Ox calendar.