Cai Han (“Tsai Han”), 1647–1684
Old Pine Tree
Fan mounted as a hanging scroll, ink on paper; 7.5 x 22.5 in.
Collection of Roy and Marilyn Papp, courtesy of Phoenix Art Museum
Description
This gnarled pine tree was painted by Cai Han, the talented concubine of Mao Xiang, a renowned scholar. The composition is rather dramatic: the trunk of the tree rises at an angle, and one branch overhangs from above. Cai Han impressed her seals at the left, while Mao inscribed the painting on the right: “Above soar a thousand feet of dragon scales. / Below grows China root of a millennium.” The dragon scales refer to the bark of the aged pine, a symbol of long life, while the China root is a reference to an elixir of immortality.
Community Response by Miao He
“I like this painting, not only because of the skills applied to it, but also because of the pine trees, which symbolize its persistence. Though they grow in tough environments, they live healthy. Along with the other two kinds of trees—bamboo and the cherry blossom—the pine tree indicates those noble spirits of Chinese people.”