Grapevine and Squirrels

The Chinese monk artist Tzu-wen Jih-kuan first popularized ink monochrome paintings of grapes during the 13th century. The twisting vines, curling tendrils and round, plump grapes provided ample opportunity for expressive brush play. They may also have been painting to express the scholar-artist's fondness for wine. The combination of squirrels and grapevines, as seen here, is actually a rebus, or word pun. In Korean, the word for squirrel sounds like pine, and the word for grape sounds like peach. Since pines and peaches are longstanding symbols of long life in China and Korea, squirrels and grapes, when pronounced, is a playful wish for continued good health.