Cleveland Museum of Art

Lotus Seeds and Water Caltrops

Date

1700–1750

Medium

Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Culture

China, Suzhou, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)

Department

Chinese Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

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. 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.

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