Painting by Thien At - Vu Dinh

INFORMATION ABOUT THE THIEN AT – VU DINH PAINTINGS Material: Engraved lacquer - Size: 50 x 60 cm Adapted from Dong Ho folk paintings THIEN AT According to astrology, Thien At is the most auspicious deity in one's destiny. Those who possess it will achieve glory, success in their careers, and easy promotion. If their destiny is blessed with abundant energy, they can attain the rank of general or marquis. When the major and minor cycles of fortune arrive at that year, everything will be good in all aspects: officials will be promoted, ordinary people will receive good news, and generally, everything will be favorable for everyone. With the wish for a prosperous new year. Some households hang a pair of paintings depicting the deities Thien At and Vu Dinh, both wearing martial arts uniforms, holding dragon swords, with red faces and slanted eyes, looking very majestic – with the wish that evil spirits will be afraid and dare not disturb them in the new year. The Thiên Ất - Vũ Đinh paintings are a type of spiritual painting with the meaning of warding off evil and protecting the home, "dispelling violence and evil spirits, averting danger and saving lives." They are hung in front of the main door or facing the door, known as the "door god." The Vũ Đinh door god is a deity with the miraculous ability to prevent, threaten, and control vengeful spirits and demons; on the other hand, it can also prevent evil spirits from entering the home and causing misfortune, such as illness, business failures, etc. Therefore, since ancient times, the door god has held a very important position in folk beliefs. These deities are depicted in many different forms of worship, sometimes just a painting, a statue, a tiger face holding a tin ring, a wooden figure made of peach wood, a round or octagonal mirror with the Eight Trigrams drawn on it, but all carry the meaning of increasing positive energy in the house, dispelling bad luck, increasing good fortune for the homeowner, thus ensuring success in career and family life.