Clearly, the person who coined the adage "money doesn't grow on trees" had never seen this ancient Chinese sculpture. Known as a money tree, this sculpture's name comes from the coin-like designs that hang from the tree branches. Supported by a glazed pottery base, the tree trunk and branches are made from bronze. A phoenix-like bird (feng shuang), a good omen, majestically stretches toward the sky atop six layers of branches—five nearly identical, and one unique. Period literature suggests that money trees were inspired by folktales about money growing on trees. The coins on this money tree resemble Han dynasty coins found in archaeological excavations.

Look closely at the money tree. Its base shows imaginary animals stacked as if to travel up the tree. Lively scenes of ancient Chinese ritual, including performers, acrobats, figures wearing long robes, and animals (both real and imagined) decorate the branches. A complex pattern of people, animals, and coins define the lower portion of each branch. What kinds of people, animals, and activities do you see in the branches?

A small monkey hangs by one hand from the lowest branch. It holds a coin half the size of its body. Why might the monkey swing from the lowest branch, holding a coin?

Made during the Eastern Han (25–220) dynasty, this money tree was found in a tomb in the Szechuan province of China, a site where more than 50 money trees have been discovered. Most tombs were stockpiled with furnishings that mirrored the extravagant homes of their inhabitants. Indeed, tombs incorporated all aspects of luxe lifestyle, including sculptures of servants, guards, farmhands, musicians, and jugglers. The money tree was thought to provide a source of eternal income for the tomb occupant; it represents a renewable, sustainable, never-ending source of prosperity and sustenance, while also symbolizing rebirth and eternal life.

Furthermore, placing a money tree in a tomb likely had spiritual significance for Han dynasty citizens. The tree's verticality represents the soul's journey from the earthly to the spirit world. At the time, coins were thought to emit supernatural light, guiding and helping to sustain the deceased's journey to the immortal world. The imaginary animals composing the tree base likely served as vehicles to the afterlife.

Look at the top center of each branch for a figure seated beneath a canopy. This is Hsi Wang-mu (shee wong moo), a deity in Taoism (dowism) known as the Queen Mother of the West. Atop the lower branches, she is seated in a shrine and is being entertained by flying horses on both sides and performers below. On the higher branches, spiritual attendants (xian) make offerings to her. In each depiction, she wears a customary flowing robe and a headpiece (sheng).

During much of the Han dynasty, Hsi Wang-Mu was worshipped as the ruler of mythical Mt. Kunlun and holder of the secret to longevity. In some portrayals, she possesses an elixir that, when consumed, would guarantee immortality. People of all social statuses, from commoners to royalty, worshipped her. Particularly in Szechuan province, she augured good fortune, thus explaining her central placement on the money tree.

At the end of the Han dynasty (c. 220), Taoism became an established religion in China. Taoism focuses on nature, the quest for longevity, spiritual cultivation, and the "Tao" as the source of all things. Taoism incorporated much older philosophy and deities, including Hsi Wang-mu, into its system of beliefs. In time, Taoism and Buddhism overlapped in China, and Hsi Wang-mu was depicted alongside the Buddha and other enlightened figures of Buddhism.