Lacquer Painting ( CHUỘT RƯỚC RỒNG )

Dong Ho folk art is also expressed in the painting “Chuột múa rồng” (Mice Dancing with the Dragon). This painting depicts folk humor, illustrating a procession of Chinese mice carrying a dragon during a festival. In the past, Chinese people in Hanoi often organized festive activities such as dragon and lion dances during occasions like the Mid-Autumn Festival. ¹ These dragon dances would parade through the streets. The dragon was made of paper or fabric attached to poles. The mice are personified, holding the poles and dancing, swaying the dragon. The procession includes mice carrying lanterns shaped like fish and various fruits, with some holding flags or insignias, and a band of musicians playing trumpets and drums on a pulled cart, as well as gongs and setting off firecrackers. In total, there are 11 mice. Notably, the mice in this painting have very long tails. This could be because the artist wanted to specifically depict a characteristic of Chinese people during the Manchu Qing dynasty, who had a distinctive long braided hairstyle