Đông Hồ Print “Tứ Linh” – The Four Sacred Creatures | Artisan Nguyễn Hữu Đạo

Dragon, unicorn, turtle and phoenix brought together in four panels: the sacred bestiary of East Asia.

History and symbolism

Each panel bears the name of its creature: 龍 (Long, the dragon), 狸 (Ly, the unicorn or lân), the turtle (Quy) and 鳳 (Phượng, the phoenix). Together, they form the Tứ Linh, the "four spirits" of Vietnamese culture. The dragon evokes power, the unicorn peace and wisdom, the turtle resting on a lotus longevity, and the phoenix grace and virtue.

Craftsmanship

Hand-printed by Nguyễn Hữu Đạo, an artisan from Đông Hồ who hid in 1990, the fifteenth generation of a family of printmakers, recognized as an artisan by the province of Bắc Ninh in 2024. A wooden block engraved by color, natural pigments, dó paper coated with shell powder (điệp) with a pearlescent grain, and the red seal of the artisan. Hand-printed: slight variations from one copy to another.

Decoration & gift idea

Decorative and balanced, it finds its place above a console, a sideboard or in an office. A lucky gift for all occasions.

Đông Hồ print in brief

Vietnamese heritage nearly five centuries old, the popular print of Đông Hồ was born in the village of the same name, in Thuận Thành (province of Bắc Ninh). Each image there is entirely handmade, from the drawing and engraving of the blocks to the printing, and its themes – wishes of happiness, scenes of daily life, history and worship – have made it the traditional image of Têt, the Lunar New Year. In December 2025, UNESCO inscribed this know-how, which only a few families still perpetuate, on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

Characteristics

• Format: 27 × 36 cm
• Orientation: Landscape (horizontal)
• Technique: woodblock print (wood engraving), hand-printed
• Support: dó paper coated with shell powder (điệp)
• Natural pigments
• Signed with the seal of the artisan Nguyễn Hữu Đạo
• Sold without frame – the framing visible in the lifestyle photos is shown for illustrative purposes only
• Origin: village of Đông Hồ, Thuận Thành, province of Bắc Ninh, Vietnam