"Eve's China Pattern Discontinued"
Fresco, Abbey of San Francisco
Recounting a little-known episode in the Biblical story of the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, this fresco shows the discontinuation of Eve's china pattern as part of the couple's punishment.
The pattern, #1 in the Lennox Bridal Registry, was created especially for Eve. It blends creamy Lenox ivory china with a full border in a rich azure hue, complemented by concentric rings of blues and earth tones. The center image is a stylized aerial view of Paradise, with the Tree of Life in the center, from which flow the rivers Tigris, Euphrates, Pison and Gihon.
To the right of the plate is another punishment in the act of being inflicted. The third figure represents an agent from the newly-created Internal Revenue Service, presenting a lien for back property taxes to the unfortunate couple.
A companion fresco, showing Adam being deprived of beer, was destroyed in the earthquake of 1384.