The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of June 28, 2026

A horizontally oriented woodblock print depicts people with light skin tones celebrating in yellow courtyards. Centered, a large conical pink-striped structure rises above a grey wall. In the lower left, a person on horseback leads a procession under a red umbrella. To the right, others play drums and gongs. Spectators watch from multi-story balconies above. Three black Chinese characters are centered at the top against the sky.

Happy New Year

1662–1722

China, Qing dynasty

(1644–1911), Kangxi reign (1622–1722)
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper
38.4 x 54.6 cm (15 1/8 x 21 1/2 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 2025.93
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.
  • ?–2025
    (Christer von der Burg, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    2025–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • {{cite web|title=Happy New Year|url=false|author=|year=1662–1722|access-date=28 June 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2025.93