Festival of the Peaches of Longevity
Original Language Title明 蟠桃圖
CultureChinese
Date14th-15th century
MediumHandscroll, ink, color, and gold on silk
DimensionsImage: 20 1/2 × 188 13/16 inches (52.07 × 479.58 cm)
Mount: 21 7/16 × 231 3/8 inches (54.45 × 587.69 cm)
Mount: 21 7/16 × 231 3/8 inches (54.45 × 587.69 cm)
Credit LineGift of the Herman R. and Helen Sutherland Foundation Fund
Object numberF72-39
On View
Not on viewCollections
Gallery LabelHere, a blue and green palette illustrates the story of Queen Mother of the West (Xiwangmu), one of the leading female deities in Daoism. In her paradise on Mount Kunlun, gold pigment adds a glow to the towering spire, rocks, and grottoes, and purple adorns the palace roof as a symbol of her nobility. According to scriptures, these peaches ripen once every 3,000 years. Whoever eats the magic fruit becomes immortal. On her birthday, Queen Mother invites guests of honor to celebrate the ripened peaches. On the right, some guests observe the peach harvest, and to the left, others enjoy the crane dancing.
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