Tree of Life is a frequently occurring theme. Trellis patterns of the Moghul period, paintings of trees, wooden carvings (see an example at the bottom) and sculptures like the one in this blog are examples of artwork under the banner of the tree of life.

In this case, it is called Tree of Life as it depicts the cycle of life, from conception to death, through a tree. This example has nineteen figures on a tree denoting life events.

Several versions of these metal sculptures are available and I have come across at least one such figure attributed to Africa. Standardised and mass-produced versions are available in the marketplace.

The example here has some age related wear. The technique used may be traditional, Dokhra style using lost wax/wax thread method. This bronze is about 24 cm in height and may date to the twentieth century.

The wooden carving below, from South Africa, is called ‘Tree of Life’ as well.