ELDER SERPENT'S BLESSING

Elder Serpent's Blessing, acrylic on canvas, 2025. 24" X 24"

The artist welcomes the Year of the Snake with this painting depicting an albino Burmese python with red pineapples and sugar cane. The albino Burmese python is chosen as the snake in the painting for its white and yellow scales, which make it look like it is gold in color. In Chinese culture, snakes are spiritual animals that represent wisdom, knowledge, good fortune, fertility, and longevity. According to ancient legends, the Snake has its own underground kingdom with numerous precious treasures, and those who are eager to make a great fortune should pray in the temple of the Snake.

Red pineapples have become a modern symbol for prosperity and protection during the Chinese New Year and are favored for combining two ancient traditions into one decoration. The red pineapple is a rare cultivar that is believed to have originated in South America and is often grown as an ornamental plant.  The Chinese word for pineapple is "黄梨", which is pronounced in the Hokkien dialect as "ong lai". That name is pronounced the same as the words "旺来" in the same dialect, which means "fortune comes".

Sugar cane is another plant used in the painting that is associated with Hokkien culture. They are considered a must-have for the festival because the Hokkiens believe that their ancestors from Fujian province in China escaped a conflict (either from persecution by the Song Dynasty or a bandit raid during the Ming Dynasty) by hiding in a sugar cane plantation for nine days during Chinese New Year. They emerged unharmed on the Jade Emperor’s birthday and believed that they were protected by the divine emperor. To commemorate their lucky survival, the Hokkien community annually celebrates the birthday of the Jade Emperor, also known as the God of Heaven, on the ninth day of Chinese New Year. On that day, sugar cane stalks are placed at altars to signify good luck, while pairs of sugar cane plants are placed on either side of the offering table to symbolize unity, cooperation, and strength.

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