A pair of redstarts have alighted on an old plum tree. Its limbs are dotted with blossoms, although traces of snow still cling to the bamboo leaves and the rocky bank below. In this snow scene, the artist has not chosen to depict winter at its coldest. The mandarin ducks pause beneath the plum tree, seeming not the least perturbed by the weather. Since plum trees usually blossom in the early spring, which coincides with the beginning of the Chinese lunar cycle, the painting may be a symbolic wish for an auspicious new year.This album leaf bears no seals or signature, but it old label attributes it to the monk Hui-ch'ung, who was a native of Chien-yang, Fukien. Noted for his renditions of waterfowl and birds of prey, he was especially famous for his small scenes. His favorite subjects included scenes of cold rivers and distant islets.