Painting of the Toad Teacher

INFORMATION ABOUT THE FROG SCHOOL PAINTING Material: Engraved lacquer - Size: 50 x 60 cm Adapted from Dong Ho folk paintings This painting depicts the bustling world of frogs, toads, and bullfrogs. Although they are living creatures, the artists personify them like humans. The inscription reads "Old Frog Teaching" (老蛙講讀). "Oa" means frog, but it's commonly called a toad in folklore. The Frog School Teacher is a painting with profound meaning, a legacy left by the ancients. The painting evokes the ancient writing style, colloquially known as "tadpole script." Frogs are amphibians and lay tadpoles. Comparing the writing of the ancients in our country, which initially had a winding shape like a tadpole, it was called "tadpole script," or "tackle script" by Confucian scholars, as "tackle" means tadpole. The author argues that: “The tadpole script is the official writing system of the Lac Viet civilization. The painting of the “Toad Teacher” is a secret message guiding future generations back to their ancestral roots. Because the tadpole script is written in the shape of a tadpole. In other words: only toads have the writing system to teach the world. Therefore, the toad has a monopoly on teaching. That is the meaning of this folk painting.” In terms of feng shui, the toad also symbolizes good fortune in all aspects of life, smooth business dealings, and especially, it can protect wealth and increase prosperity. According to many beliefs, the toad is a sacred animal that can ward off many misfortunes and negative energies.