Shaker Design: “The Tree of Life”, “Seen and painted by Hannah Cohoon. City of Peace, Monday July 3rd 1854″. It is the most famous of the “gift drawings”. To the Shakers, fruit-bearing trees represented the unspoiled loveliness of the Garden of Eden.
“I received a draft of a beautiful Tree pencil’d on a large sheet of paper bearing ripe fruit. I saw it plainly; it looked very singular and curious to me. I have since learned that this tree grows in the Spirit Land. Afterwards the spirit shew’d me plainly the branches, leaves and fruit, painted or drawn upon paper. The leaves were check’d or cross’d and the same colors you see here. I entreated Mother Ann to tell me the name of this tree: which she did Oct. 1st 4th hour P.M. by moving the hand of a medium to write twice over Your Tree is the Tree of Life. Seen and painted by, Hannah Cohoon.” . Source: wikicommons shaker workshops
Design is fine. History is mine. 