I have drawn the Tree of Life in many forms, on binders, clocks, prints and ornaments, and more recently in clay. Long before any of us, though, the tree of life in art was already one of the most widespread images people have made. It shows up in ancient carvings, sacred texts, folk art, famous paintings and the jewelry many people wear every day. Here is a short look at some of the places it appears.
Ancient Sacred Trees
Some of the oldest examples come from ancient Mesopotamia. Stone reliefs from the Assyrian palace at Nimrud, carved in the 800s BC, show a stylized tree that scholars often call the sacred tree. It is sometimes described as a tree of life, although its exact meaning is still debated. In the Bible, the tree of life is named in the Garden of Eden in Genesis and appears again in the final chapter of Revelation.
The Tree of Life in Art Across Cultures
In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil is the great world tree that connects the realms of the cosmos. In Celtic-style art, trees with knotted roots and branches that join in a circle remain a popular design today. In Jewish mystical tradition, the Kabbalah Tree of Life is drawn as a diagram of ten connected points called the sefirot.
In Mexico, potters in the town of Metepec are known for their colorful clay trees of life, the árboles de la vida, covered in flowers, figures and little scenes. And one of the best-known modern versions is Gustav Klimt’s golden, swirling Tree of Life, part of the Stoclet Frieze he created for a house in Brussels in the early 1900s.
Tree of Life Jewelry and Everyday Design
Today the tree of life may be most familiar as jewelry. Pendants, charms and rings showing a round tree, with its roots and branches joined inside a circle, are worn as reminders of family, growth or faith, and they are often chosen as gifts for family milestones. The same image is used on wall art, home decor and stationery, which is where most of my own designs live.
My own art comes from the same love of trees. You can see some of my original pieces on my Custom Tree of Life Artwork page, and in clay with sculptures such as The Tree of Us. For a gentler look at the tree as a source of comfort during hard times, see The Tree of Life as a Symbol of Hope and Healing.