8. scroll

Takesago Scroll in the Tokonoma This scroll was hung in the tokonoma, a recess in the tea room, during the kaiseke meal. It shows a story from a Noh play about a couple who lived to be very old and eventually became the spirits of trees. The creatures on the sand are turtles, who have beards to indicate that they too are old, and there are cranes in the sky, another symbol of longevity. This is considered a fortuitous theme for married couples of all ages.