Banhua () is the Chinese umbrella term for any
printed
Printing is a process for mass reproducing text and Printmaking, images using a master form or template. The earliest non-paper products involving printing include cylinder seals and objects such as the Cyrus Cylinder and the Cylinders of Nabon ...
art objects, and especially for those made by
woodblock printing, the term used for
woodcuts from Asia.
History
The direct translation of 'Banhua' is 'printed picture', it is a general term for original prints or printmaking as an art form. 'Banhua' is composed of two characters: 'ban' () meaning 'block' and 'hua' () meaning 'picture'. Banhua's meaning is not limited to prints in Chinese style.
As
printing first appeared in 3rd-century China, artists started to use
woodblock printing or other methods to spread their works. Buddhist classics, novel illustrations, and the
banknote
A banknote or bank notealso called a bill (North American English) or simply a noteis a type of paper money that is made and distributed ("issued") by a bank of issue, payable to the bearer on demand. Banknotes were originally issued by commerc ...
were among the first public works to be printed in China.
From the 17th century, prints of
New Year pictures became popular.
See also
*
Lianhuanhua
''Lianhuanhua'' () is a type of palm-size picture books of sequential drawings popular in China in the 20th century. It influenced modern manhua.Wong, Wendy Siuyi. 002(2001) Hong Kong Comics: A History of Manhua. Princeton Architectural Press ...
*
Manhua
() are Chinese-language comics produced in Greater China. Chinese comics and narrated illustrations have existed in China throughout its history.
They are usually graphic and can be written for a myriad of genres, including romance, fanta ...
*
Chinese animation
Chinese animation refers to animation made in China. In Chinese, donghua ( zh, s=动画, t=動畫, p=dònghuà) describes all animated works, regardless of style or origin. However, outside of China and in English, ''donghua'' is colloquial for ...
*
Dongman
References
{{reflist
Arts in China
Printmaking
Chinese art