1. "Mice Wedding"

Dong Ho Folks, Mice Wedding ,Woodblock prints, 10”x15”, ca. 1600.

Dong Ho is a small village in Thuan Thanh, Bac Ninh province, located on the southern side of the Duong river (30km to the east from Hanoi,) is one of the villages that remains to preserve ancient cultural relies of Kinh Bac area (red river delta, north of Vietnam.) Dong Ho paintings have about 300 years of history in the north of Vietnam. 

Luu Duy Dan, Vice President of Vietnamese Craft Village Association, says: “Dong Ho paintings are artifacts of Vietnamese culture games. For example, paintings showing… a Rat’s wedding… depict cultural traditions concerned with education and life lessons”.

The painting is hand made from the bark of a tree called Dzo. The bark of Dzo is stored in the water for months, then grounded and mixed with sea shell. The painting depicts a wedding parade with the mouse bride (sitting) and the mouse groom (riding the horse) together with other mice. There are two mice on the top row carrying the food to bribe the big cat so the weeding can go through. The scene implies social issue in ancient Vietnamese society where higher classes took control and exploited lower classes.

The work gives the context about Vietnamese society in the old days. It also reflects the hierarchy mentality and also the sense of humors of the Vietnamese.