Timeless source of inspiration: The moon in relics (7)

The Moon Goddess Chang’e, Metropolitan Museum of Art

This painting depicts the Chinese moon goddess Chang’e with an osmanthus branch in her left hand.

The painting and its accompanying poem were produced by Tang Yin, a gifted scholar, and painter during the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644 A.D.). This painting unveils Tang’s dashed dream for success in the imperial civil service examinations as Chang’e holds up the osmanthus branch in her left hand. The word for “osmanthus” in Chinese is a pun on the word for “nobility.”