Mu Guiying is a military heroine from Northern Song dynasty folklore, whose story belongs to the series General Yang’s Clan. In this story, Mu marries a third-generation descendant of General Yang’s family, and serves as a major general in the battles against Northern Song’s neighbours Liao and Xixia. The story General Mu Guiying was adapted in 1959 into Beijing opera to celebrate the People’s Republic’s 10th anniversary. The heroine was played by the famous actor Mei Lanfang, who was possibly the inspiration for this woodcut image. The use of water-soluble ink here is reminiscent of traditional New Year Pictures.
Weimin He, and Shelagh Vainker, Chinese Prints 1950-2006 in the Ashmolean Museum (Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, 2007), no. 48 on p. 57, illus. p. 57
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