41cm
16"
16"
40.8cm
16"
16"
Approximate Measurements
Artwork Panel: 31.8cm x 32cm ≈ 12½" x 12½"
Silk/Brocade Border: 40.8cm x 41cm ≈ 16" x 16"
Chinese Calligraphy Painting/Portrait
This is a common gift for Chinese couples getting married or newly married couples, but it appropriate for anyone for whom you wish the greatest of happiness.
As we say in the west, "Two heads are better than one" Well, in the east, two "happinesses" are certainly better than one.
This is not really a character that is pronounced very often - it's almost exclusively used in written form. However, if pressed, most Chinese people will pronounce this "shuang xi" (double happy) although literally there are two "xi" characters combined in this calligraphy (but nobody will say "xi xi").
In Chinese, "xi" is pronounced like "she" but with your tongue sitting in the bottom of your mouth and your teeth slightly open (there is no sound in English exactly like this).
Customize a special Double Happiness painting or wall scrollThe calligraphy was done using black Chinese ink on xuan paper (known incorrectly in the west as "rice paper"). The raw artwork was then taken to our Wall Scroll Workshop where it was laminated to more sheets of xuan paper, and built into a beautiful portrait with silk brocade border.
This calligraphy was created by Li Dan-Qing of Beijing. He's an older gentleman who has been involved with the art community of China, all of his life. Now in retirement, he creates calligraphy for us for sort of "hobby income".