Judy Pfaff, Wufu Wu (The Five Chinese Blessings), 1995

Judy Pfaff

Wufu Wu (The Five Chinese Blessings), 1995

Signed, dated, numbered and titled in graphite pencil on the front

Edition of 120

Original etching on Japanese Kozo paper with hand-colored opalescence

Frame included

Signed, dated, numbered and titled in graphite pencil on the front
Original etching on Japanese Kozo paper with hand-colored opalescence
Tandem Press of the University of Wisconsin-Madison for the Madison Print Club
signed, numbered (ed. of 120) and dated in graphite pencil lower front with publisher's blind stamp
This mixed media work was featured in the invitational exhibition "Women on Paper" at the Sager Reeves Gallery in April, 2021, and is reproduced in the exhibition catalogue.
"Wufu (Chinese: 五福), meaning the five blessings, is a concept that signifies a grouping of certain good fortunes and luck in Chinese culture. The number five is regarded as an auspicious number in Chinese traditions and closely associated with the Five Elements (Wu Xing, Chinese: 五行), which are essential for a good life as well as the basic organisational principle in Chinese thought. As a result, the number five appears ubiquitously as in the Five Blessings..." - Wiki
This work depicts the five fingers of two human hands - reprising the Chinese them of #5 denoting good luck, but also alluding to the familiar "Hamsa"(Arabic: خمسة‎ khamsah) the palm-shaped amulet popular throughout the Middle East and in the Maghreb and commonly used in jewelry and wall hangings. Depicting the open right hand, an image recognized and used as a sign of protection in many times throughout history, the hamsa is believed to provide defense against the evil eye. Khamsah is an Arabic word that means "five", but also "the five fingers of the han.
Thus, we believe that purchasing this auspicious work will bestow double luck upon the recipient.
Pencil signed and dated recto. Printed at the Tandem Press of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with their blind stamp, lower right. Published by the Madison Print Club, Madison. Elegantly floated and framed in a museum quality wood frame under UV plexiglass
Measurements:
Framed
16 inches vertical by 33 inches horizontal by 1.5 inches
Artwork
12.25 inches vertical by 29 inches horizontal