It vividly reproduces Wu's folk activities, displays rich local culture, has rich folk customs and is full of vitality.
First, the historical development of Taohuawu New Year pictures
Taohuawu New Year pictures have a long history. According to the custom, at the end of the Lunar New Year, New Year pictures should be posted to ward off evil spirits and pray for good luck in the coming year, and then extended to other festivals, wedding leave, birthday celebrations and other folk activities. Taohuawu woodblock New Year pictures were formed in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties, and have a history of at least 400 years. With the development and change of social politics, Taohuawu New Year pictures have also experienced the process from prosperity to decline.
1. Initial period
From the late Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, the period from Qianlong to Jiaqing was the initial period of Taohuawu woodcut New Year pictures. During this period, with the development of Suzhou handicraft industry, the development of Taohuawu woodblock New Year pictures is the most cultural period. Such as the Eight Immortals' Birthday in the 25th year of Wanli, the Twenty-eighth Night of Kunyang in the early Qing Dynasty, the Twenty-fourth Filial Piety of Tomb-Sweeping Day, the Flower Appreciation by Yang Guifei, the Yayue Festival and the Yaochi Festival.
2. Prosperous times
The period from Kangxi to Gan Yong is the most prosperous and brilliant period in the history of Taohuawu New Year Pictures. This period is a prosperous time in history, and the economy is prosperous. Gusu has a special printmaking studio. Taohuawu New Year pictures in this period have the most street flavor. The picture of Wannian Bridge in Gusu is the masterpiece of this theme. At the same time, there are also works that reflect landscapes, ladies, operas, stories and other themes, such as Snow on the Plank Road, Beauty under the Curtain, and Song Taizu's A Thousand Miles to Jingniang.
Step 3: recession
From the late Qing Dynasty to Xianfeng and Tongzhi War, Taohuawu New Year pictures showed a declining period. With the frequent wars and the decline of the national economy, Taohuawu New Year pictures have also entered a period of low development. The production scale of lithographic New Year pictures and offset New Year pictures in Suzhou has been greatly reduced. The New Year pictures handed down during this period include Jade Hall with Wealth, Lotus Peanut with Your Son, Water Margin in Xiu Xiang, Records of Legal Persons, Twelve Golden Hairpins in a Dream of Red Mansions, among which opera works are the most prosperous.
Second, the theme of Taohuawu New Year pictures
Taohuawu's craftsmanship is exquisite and unique, and the process is complex, which needs to be linked together. Every step of making New Year pictures has its own specific tools and materials. The production steps are divided into three processes: painting, carving and printing. The printing of Taohuawu woodblock New Year pictures is also very particular, requiring full composition. The main themes are drama stories, filial piety and solar terms, and so on.
1. solar terms.
There have always been many festivals and customs in Wuzhong area, especially the Lantern Festival Lantern Festival. There is an inherent saying called "Wuzhong custom, especially Shangyuan". For example, the New Year picture "Scenery of Tiger Hill Lantern Boat" is based on the old customs in Wuzhong, Suzhou, showing the lively scene of people sitting on boats full of colored lights and visiting the night scene all the way. "Duanyang Map" depicts the lively scene of dragon boat rowing in Zhong Hao during the Dragon Boat Festival. Another example is the common pattern of "forcing rats, silkworms and cats", which is a favorite pattern of Wudi sericulturists.
2. Dramatic stories
The works that express the theme of traditional Chinese opera are also called "traditional Chinese opera". Traditional Chinese opera refers to the general name of drama and quyi. Suzhou Pingtan and Kunqu Opera, which are full of local flavor, are adult paintings painted by Taohuawu New Year painters. For example, the New Year picture "Little Guanghan" depicts the "Little Guanghan" bookstore in Shanghai in the Qing Dynasty. Seven artists on the stage, either holding pipa or playing huqin, recreated the singing scene of Pingtan. Another example is The Legend of the Golden Gun to Yang Jiajiang, The West Chamber, The Wedding of San Xiao and The Pearl Tower, all of which are based on Beijing Opera.
3. Spend Bo Gu.
Although flowers, birds, animals, fish and insects often appear in Taohuawu New Year pictures, most of them are just "supporting roles" in other works, which have certain symbolic or moral significance. For example, Ding Yingzong's "Kangxi Flower Atlas" has pictures of flowers and birds, insects, plums, fruits and other different contents. During the Qianlong period, Bo Gu patterns appeared in Changshou Fu Guitu, Bo Gu with vase flowers, and so on.
4. Jiangnan Life Classroom
In the seventh year of Yongzheng, the inscription of Guangyetang in Lingnan Guild Hall recorded:
Zuoming District of Gusujiang also. Famous cultural relics are promoted by the state. Moreover, foreign businessmen in Yanmen gather together, and the goods are hit, with a long time between mountains and ponds.
It shows that Suzhou's commercial capital was active at that time. In the New Year pictures, the official girls' dramas "Wenmen Map of Gusu" and "Wannian Bridge Map of Gusu", just like "Riverside Map of Qingming Festival", depict the bustling crowds in the streets, such as buildings, merchants, silk shops, dye shops, pharmacies, grocery stores, restaurants, sauce gardens and so on. , including entertainers, children walking and playing, people wandering in groups, people in a hurry, people asking about the price of goods, etc.
5. Female image
Ladies are the most common figures in Taohuawu New Year pictures, which frequently appear in works with various themes. For example, there are New Year pictures showing women's labor, such as Yu Qiao Geng Du, Meng Mu Broken Machine Map and Floating Needle Begging for Cleverness. New Year pictures showing women's leisure and entertainment, such as beauty flowers, clothes full of flowers, beauty flowers, chess beauty and so on. There are also New Year pictures showing emotional activities, such as the beauty swing picture, the piano picture of Shuang Guixuan, the picture of his wife and children waiting for lang, and the picture of the West Lake Palace.
6. Happy birthday, celebrate happiness
Happy New Year pictures are a kind of creation that integrates people's beautiful vision into New Year pictures. For example, making a fortune, being promoted and getting rich, being promoted by five sons, being promoted by magpies and other contents with beautiful meanings express people's beautiful yearning for life. For example, lucky, cornucopia, happy birthday, good weather and other New Year pictures. Pray for peace and success. These are the manifestations of New Year pictures.
Third, the value of Taohuawu New Year pictures
1. Aesthetic value
Traditional culture is the cornerstone of the development of folk art. No matter from the modeling characteristics of Taohuawu New Year Pictures or the picture composition, Taohuawu New Year Pictures conform to the traditional symmetry, harmony and aesthetics. This also reflects the aesthetic philosophy of China people, which is steady, mellow and approachable.
2. Existing value
With the change of history, we can't see many scenes, but through records, we can see the glory of that era again, and Taohuawu New Year pictures are a good medium. In Wannian Bridge, Gusu, we can once again see the prosperity of Kanggan, which provides valuable information for future generations to study the social situation and cultural features of Suzhou at that time.
Intangible cultural heritage carries our cultural genes and spiritual characteristics, and records our lifestyle and customs. As the first batch of intangible cultural heritage in China, Taohuawu woodblock New Year pictures are to feel the richness of traditional culture, and to understand Taohuawu is to understand a legend, an ancient art flower blooming in the East.