The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of June 29, 2026

A woodblock print in muted colors features eight rectangular panels arranged in two rows. Figures with light skin tones wear robes in red, blue, and yellow, interacting in domestic and courtyard settings. Large Chinese characters at the top read "Wife, Wealth, Sons, and a Salary." Rendered with fine black outlines and flat color on cream-colored paper, the aged surface displays vertical creases and light brown staining.

Wife, Wealth, Sons, and a Salary

1662–1722

China, Qing dynasty

(1644–1911), Kangxi reign (1622–1722)
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper
39 x 55.7 cm (15 3/8 x 21 15/16 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 2025.94
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=Wife, Wealth, Sons, and a Salary|url=false|author=|year=1662–1722|access-date=29 June 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2025.94