Symbols of Longevity: Deer under Peach and Pine (Peach) (left)
1801
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1801
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see a deer standing under a peach tree branch. The tree has pale pink blossoms and small green leaves. The deer looks calm, its head turned slightly toward us. This painting is from Japan’s Edo period. Artists then liked symbols of long life. Peaches meant immortality. Pine trees also stood for endurance. Deer were lucky messengers. Look up Toda Tadanaka (Japanese, 1761–1823).
