Đông Hồ woodblock print “Hai Bà Trưng” – The Trưng Sisters | Artisan Nguyễn Hữu Đạo

Two heroines riding elephants hunt the Han army: a masterpiece of Vietnamese historical imagery.

History and symbolism

The characters 徵側 and 徵貳 refer to Trưng Trắc and Trưng Nhị; the inscription 徵王除漢賊 proclaims "Queen Trưng drives out the Han invaders". In 40 AD, the two sisters led an uprising against Chinese domination and forced the governor Tô Định, shown here fleeing, to leave the country. They ruled until 43 and remain the great figures of female courage in Vietnam.

Craftsmanship

Everything is handmade by Nguyễn Hữu Đạo, a fifteenth-generation Đông Hồ printmaker: dó paper coated with shell powder (điệp), natural pigments, and a woodblock engraved for each color. This craft has been on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding since 2025. Artisan's seal. Hand-printed: slight variations from one print to another.

Decoration & gift idea

Powerful and colorful, it makes a striking statement in a living room or office. A meaningful gift to celebrate the history and courage of women.

Đông Hồ prints in brief

A Vietnamese heritage nearly five centuries old, the Đông Hồ folk print was born in the village of the same name in Thuận Thành (Bắc Ninh province). Every image there is entirely handmade, from the design and woodblock engraving to printing, and its themes – wishes for happiness, scenes of daily life, history, and worship – have made it the traditional image of Tết, the Lunar New Year. In December 2025, UNESCO added this craft, which is still perpetuated by only a few families, to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

Specifications

• Size: 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 artisan Nguyễn Hữu Đạo
• Sold unframed – the framing shown in the lifestyle photos is for illustrative purposes only
• Origin: Đông Hồ village, Thuận Thành, Bắc Ninh province, Vietnam