Tree of Life: China

According to Wikipedia "In Chinese mythology, a carving of a Tree of Life depicts a phoenix and a dragon; the dragon often represents immortality." Wikipedia said it depicts a phoenix, the chinese version of a phoenix is called Fenghuang , they are used as symbols of high virtue, grace and unity, especially when depicted with a dragon. This pairing is used as a show of a balance between the feminine (Fenghuang) and the masculine (dragon) and is a version of yin yang.

For Japan...

On March 11th Japan was hit by it's largest earthquake in it's written history (let me remind you, they were among the first in the world to record the written word...so that's a long time).  They are still feeling the effects of this earthquake in the form of tremors, tsunamis and the death toll is steadily rising.

With all this in mind I wanted to make something to send positive thoughts to Japan.  So,  I went searching on Wikipedia and discovered the Kirin (Qilin) a mythical hooved chimeric creature found throughout many East Asian cultures.  It is thought to bring luck and fortune.  I had a small goof up, I meant to make this a more Japanese Kirin, but due to my headache (had a long island iced tea last night that was more "long island" than "iced tea") I misread and didn't realize the Japanese depict the Kirin more goat like than giraffe like.  Not sure how the Japanese made that leap. So, let's just call this a fusion and well intentioned.