Black Necked Crane

This is a fine art pigment ink print on 100% cotton rag, 310 gsm archival paper of an original watercolour painting by Dharshi de Silva. Cranes have an important role in Chinese mythology. In Chinese culture, the crane is thought of as the prince of all feathered creatures. Embodying longevity and peace, it is the second only to the other most favoured bird symbol the Phoenix. Although they are revered for their symbolic meaning, in reality, cranes are not always protected by humanity. The World Wide Fund for Nature or WWF  says "the Eastern Himalayas is a region that harbours thousands of different species, including over 10,000 plants, 900 species of bird, and 300 species of mammal. Many of which are endangered or critically endangered", they also say that the Black-necked crane is one of the most critically endangered species to live in the region. 
 
In the artwork, you will see that the crane is part of the background and not separate. It could also be interpreted as the crane is a mountainscape. The crane's outstretched wing lie protectively over an orb which looks alien to its surroundings. If you wish to read more about the meaning of this painting, a post is coming soon; you can subscribe here.