Prosperity Lunar New Year Painted Scroll

In celebration of the lunar new year festival, it was traditional all over China to hang special decorations. In a city called Wuqiang, local artists made lacquer scroll paintings laden with symbolism. This framed and finely rendered early 20th century folk painting from Wuqiang features an imperial court official and his family dressed in their best silks. The young boy is dressed in a wonderfully patterned yellow robe to offer Shou Xing, the god of health, a peach for longevity. The emperor, denoted by his red silk robe with imperial dragons, stands behind the family, clutching an elaborate ruyi scepter that the family has presented to him for good fortune and prosperity.