An Interpretation of the Money Tree
An Interpretation of the Money Tree
As I walked into Gallery 15 of the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, I was overwhelmed by the number of art pieces. Craning my neck and straining my ears to hear Professor Riegel, I caught a glimpse of a glimmering branch of a tree. As I drew closer, I saw a beautiful object, one that I had never seen before in Chinese art – the money tree, and knew that this was the piece that I would write my essay on. Visually, the money tree was unique and distinct, compared to other Han Dynasty art pieces - clay models of mythical and real animals, lead-glazed earthenware canteens, ceramic vessels, tile and brick decorations found in tombs, and various models of houses, stoves, mills, and farmyards. Its elaborate detail and delicacy was unlike not only the Han pieces in Gallery 15, but any art I had seen in Chinese history. However, the money tree was not “love at first sight.” As I researched and learned more about the tree, I became increasingly drawn to the piece. The money tree represents the synergy of Daoism and Buddhism during the Eastern Han Dynasty - a guide to heaven, and the hope for good fortune in the afterlife. Money trees were placed in tombs found mostly in the Sichuan province of China during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD). The money tree is made of bronze and can be divided into two sections: the base and the branches of the tree. The ceramic and bronze base is covered with an amber lead glaze and contains three levels, which portray “lively scenes rarely found in Chinese art,” such as hunting (Reigel 11.10.05). Whole surviving money trees are rare, since the solid base of the tree endure longer than its delicate branches. The branches of the tree are thin, symmetrical bronze pieces that are divided by six levels. Each level has four branches facing opposite directions that are divided by ninety degrees. The branches thrive with magical creatures (such as winged immortals called Xian), disk shapes,
As I walked into Gallery 15 of the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, I was overwhelmed by the number of art pieces. Craning my neck and straining my ears to hear Professor Riegel, I caught a glimpse of a glimmering branch of a tree. As I drew closer, I saw a beautiful object, one that I had never seen before in Chinese art – the money tree, and knew that this was the piece that I would write my essay on. Visually, the money tree was unique and distinct, compared to other Han Dynasty art pieces - clay models of mythical and real animals, lead-glazed earthenware canteens, ceramic vessels, tile and brick decorations found in tombs, and various models of houses, stoves, mills, and farmyards. Its elaborate detail and delicacy was unlike not only the Han pieces in Gallery 15, but any art I had seen in Chinese history. However, the money tree was not “love at first sight.” As I researched and learned more about the tree, I became increasingly drawn to the piece. The money tree represents the synergy of Daoism and Buddhism during the Eastern Han Dynasty - a guide to heaven, and the hope for good fortune in the afterlife. Money trees were placed in tombs found mostly in the Sichuan province of China during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD). The money tree is made of bronze and can be divided into two sections: the base and the branches of the tree. The ceramic and bronze base is covered with an amber lead glaze and contains three levels, which portray “lively scenes rarely found in Chinese art,” such as hunting (Reigel 11.10.05). Whole surviving money trees are rare, since the solid base of the tree endure longer than its delicate branches. The branches of the tree are thin, symmetrical bronze pieces that are divided by six levels. Each level has four branches facing opposite directions that are divided by ninety degrees. The branches thrive with magical creatures (such as winged immortals called Xian), disk shapes,
Cited: Bagley, Robert. Ancient Sichuan – Treasures from a Lost Civilization. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2001. Ebrey, Patricia Buckley. The Cambridge Illustrated History of China. Hong Kong: Cambridge University Press, 1996. Riegel, Jeffrey. Field trip to the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. 10 November 2005. Schipper, Kristoffer. “Taoism.” The Taoist Body. Berkeley: U.C. Press, 1993.