Đông Hồ Print “Harvest Day” – The Time of Harvest | Artisan Nguyễn Hữu Đạo

Golden sheaves, a water buffalo, houses with curved roofs: the village rejoices in the harvest.

History and symbolism

This untitled print depicts the end of the harvest. Peasants bring in and stack sheaves of rice, a child leads the buffalo, and elders watch from the courtyards of the houses. The abundant grain, laden trees, and flowering jars create an image of plenty: the wish for a year of good harvests, a home sheltered from want, and a united village.

Craftsmanship

It comes from the workshop of Nguyễn Hữu Đạo, son and grandson of master artisans from Đông Hồ. The natural colors are pressed one by one with engraved wooden blocks onto dó paper coated with crushed shells (điệp), with the black outlines printed last. Red artisan seal. Hand-printed: slight variations from one copy to another.

Decoration & gift idea

Warm and luminous, it looks beautiful in a dining room, kitchen, or entryway. A housewarming gift full of promise.

Đông Hồ prints in brief

A Vietnamese heritage nearly five centuries old, Đông Hồ folk prints originated in the village of the same name in Thuận Thành (Bắc Ninh province). Each image is made entirely by hand, from the drawing and engraving of the blocks to the printing, and its themes—wishes for happiness, scenes of daily life, history, and worship—have made it the traditional image of Têt, 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