Pa. German Plate c. 1940

William L. Antrim created this watercolor drawing, Pa. German Plate, sometime between 1855 and 1995. Note the central image: a stylized tree blossoming with tulips and pomegranate-like fruit, surrounded by an inscription that translates to 'If I taste death, it does not stem from the poison of the root'. The tree motif, universal across cultures, symbolizes life, growth, and interconnectedness. Here, the tulip, imported to Europe during the Ottoman Empire, has, by the 18th century, become a symbol of luxury. The pomegranate fruit, meanwhile, signals abundance and fertility but also carries a hidden significance as a symbol of death and resurrection. One can find echoes of the pomegranate in depictions of Persephone, whose consumption of pomegranate seeds binds her to the underworld. The text hints at our mortality, connecting the flourishing tree with the inevitable fate of all living things. The image reminds us how deeply ingrained these symbols are in our collective consciousness. These symbols surface again and again, evolving, adapting, yet retaining a connection to our primal understanding of life, death, and rebirth.