Eight Immortals and Twelve Zodiac Animals

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Eight Immortals and Twelve Zodiac Animals

八仙十二生肖圖

1736–95

China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Qianlong period

(1736–95)

Medium

Woodblock print; ink on paper

Measurements

Print only: 38.1 x 38 cm (15 x 14 15/16 in.); Overall: 47.4 x 47.7 cm (18 11/16 x 18 3/4 in.)

Credit Line

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 2025.103

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Location

Not on view

Did You Know?

Woodblock printing in color reached a height in China in the 1600s to 1700s. The prints were executed by means of sets of separate blocks, each carved to print a different color.

Description

In the 1600s, printing flourished in such Jiangnan cities as Nanjing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Huizhou, evolving from privately enjoyed illustrated books printed in color to more commercialized single-sheet color prints that were hung on walls and became part of the rich urban visual culture.