Eternal Spring: Cranes

June 12, 2024–December 29, 2024

Kemper Family Foundations Balcony and Ingrid & J.K. Lee Study Center

Ink painting of two cranes standing on pine branches, Chinese characters line the left of the painting

Yang Zhengxin, Two Cranes, 1981, Gift of George and Cindy Jones, 1984.0031

In East Asia, cranes are an auspicious symbol of longevity and are often depicted as companions to immortals. The red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis), named for a patch of bare red skin on its head, is found in the paintings and textile displayed in Eternal Spring: Cranes. These large cranes have populations throughout East Asia. Because cranes are monogamous, they are associated with weddings.

Matsumura Keibun
Cranes and Pines
early 1800s, Edo period (1600–1868)
table skirt with cranes
1800s, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Matsumura Keibun
Cranes and Pines
early 1800s, Edo period (1600–1868)

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