Squirrels on the Chestnut Tree Pillow

Squirrels on the Chestnut Tree is attributed to Ge Shuying, a little-documented Chinese painter active in the Hangzhou region during the 1300s who may have worked as a Chan Buddhist or Daoist priest-painter. One squirrel perches on a branch nibbling a chestnut while a second approaches a fallen nut on the ground below, rendered with fine, staccato brushstrokes for the animals' fur set against broader, wetter strokes describing the tree's bark. Squirrel paintings in this crisp monochrome style later found particular favor among Japanese collectors, extending Ge Shuying's influence beyond China. The painting is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Jacquard-woven both sides in soft, durable yarn; insert included.