Children Playing in the Snow at the New Year

Historical period(s)
Qing dynasty, 1800-1900
Medium
Ink and color on silk
Dimensions
H x W (image): 109.9 x 61.5 cm (43 1/4 x 24 3/16 in)
Geography
China
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Douglas Woods Sprunt in Memory of Rear Admiral and Mrs. Edgar L. Woods
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Accession Number
S1993.43
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Painting
Type

Hanging scroll

Keywords
child, China, new year, playing, Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911), snow, WWII-era provenance
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Label

The most significant and joyous of all festivals in China is the Lunar New Year, which falls on the first day of the first new moon of the year (generally in late January or February). This festival painting is not intended to be realistic, rather it depicts an imaginary scene filled with wishes for a happy New Year.

In the foreground, boys make a snow lion; two of the older ones wear peacock feathers in their caps, an allusion to becoming  high officials since peacock feathers were bestowed by the emperor as a high honor. In the midground, a boy ignites a red firecracker, which is an essential element of the New Year festivities, said to frighten away evil spirits;  the sulphur released was also believed to stop the spread of epidemics. Other boys make clamoring noises with drums and cymbals to scare off evil and ensure harmony during the incoming year. On the back veranda, three boys huddle around a jar trying to capture five bats as an emblem of vast fortune. The symbolism derives from puns on the word red, which sounds like "vast," and the word for bat, which sounds like "good fortune."

The work is unsigned. It is most likely a workshop painting made as a festival decoration.

Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
SI Usage Statement

Usage Conditions Apply

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

citation | Save this image How to download an image | Request Permission | Terms of Use