Accession Number
1981/2.132A

Title
Cicada on a Willow Branch

Artist(s)
Zhang Wendao (Chang Wen-tao)

Object Creation Date
1805

Medium & Support
fan mounted as an album leaf, ink and color on mica-coated paper

Dimensions
7 5/8 in x 22 in (19.4 cm x 55.9 cm);18 in x 27 15/16 in (45.8 cm x 71 cm)

Credit Line
Museum Purchase made possible by the Margaret Watson Parker Art Collection Fund

Label copy
Widely found throughout China, the cicada is admired for its ability to sing. In late summer the male cicada calls out with great exuberance to attract female cicadas. In addition to their passionate and virile character, cicadas are said to live longer than any other insect and are thus associated with eternal youth. The willow, on the other hand, is associated with feminine grace and romance; young women would give willows as mementos to lovers who were departing on a long journey. Cicadas and willows have been paired in romantic poetry since very ancient times.
Maribeth Graybill, Senior Curator of Asian Art
Exhibited in "Flora and Fauna in Chinese Art," April 6, 2002 - December 1, 2002.
Gallery Rotation Fall 2011
Zhang Wendao
China, 1764–1814
Cicada on a Willow Branch
Qing Period (1644–1912)
1805
Fan mounted as an album leaf, ink and color on mica-coated paper
Museum purchase made possible by the Margaret Watson Parker Art Collection Fund, 1981/2.132A
Widely found throughout China, the cicada is admired for its ability to sing. In late summer the male calls out with great exuberance to attract females. In addition to their passionate and virile character, cicadas are said to live longer than any other insect and are thus associated with eternal youth. The willow branch on which the cicada perches in this painting is associated with feminine grace and romance: young women gave willows as mementos to lovers who were departing on a long journey. The two have been paired in Chinese romantic poetry since ancient times.

Subject matter
The cicada is admired for its ability to sing. It is also associated with eternal youth as it lives longer than any other insect. The willow branch is associated with feminine grace and romance. The two have been paired in Chinese romantic poetry since ancient times.

Physical Description
A cicada perches on a willow branch.

Primary Object Classification
Unbound Work

Primary Object Type
leaf

Additional Object Classification(s)
Painting

Collection Area
Asian

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.