There was a constant expectation in China newly married couples must produce sons soon after they married to uphold cultural imperatives which Bartholomew (p.58) writes to “…perpetuate the family name and to continue to worship ancestors. To have no such descendant is considered the greatest sin against filial piety. In ancient China, a man would have a good excuse to bring in a concubine if his wife was proven to be barren.” So, a woman’s marriage bed was sprinkled with nuts, seeds, and fruits all of which are fertility symbols. The pomegranate (shilui) is a symbol of fertility and fecundity due to its numerous seeds and many seeds inside it expresses the homophonic wish for 100 sons (liukai baizi). The carp and other fish is a symbol for an abundance of children because they produce many eggs while a pair symbolizes a harmonious marriage. The Chinese word for chestnut is a homophone for “establishing” “sons” or “children” and, therefore, is a good luck symbol for creating a family. Chopsticks symbolize the hope for newlyweds to have children quickly, because it is a homophone for combination “fast” and “sons.” A pair of ducks symbolize fidelity and conjugal affection. The word for dumpling is a wish for a large family because it is homophone for “having o have sexual intercourse” combined with “son” or “child” and dumplings stuffed with dates express a hope for the “early” birth of sons. A fish also represents fertility in marriage since it reproduces rapidly and a pair represent happiness in marriage for life. The frog is a symbol of fertility because it since it is a homophone for the word for baby. The peanut symbolizes the wish for many children because its second character is a homophone for giving birth. The Chinese word for pumpkin sounds like the word for “boy” and symbolizes a wish for sons. The rat symbolizes fertility, abundance and wealth because of its reproductive abilities. A reed pipe (sheng 笙) has the hidden meaning of “to give birth” because it has the same pronunciation as the Chinese word “to give birth.” The ox symbolizes springtime, harvest and fertility. Dumplings stuffed with dates express a hope for the “early” birth of sons, and there are many more.
Sources:
Terese Tse Bartholomew, Hidden Meanings in Chinese Art, San Francisco, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, 2006.
Patricia Bjaaland Welch, Chinese Art: A Guide to Motifs and Visual Imagery, Rutland, Tuttle Publishing, 2008.
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Nandi is among the most frequent Hindu deities worshiped in public places, temples, homes, or on a home altar throughout India. As one of Hinduism’s mythical animals, Nandi is Shiva’s vahana, (his mount that transports him), attendant and leader of his attendants and guardian of all four-footed animals. A recumbent image of Nandi on a…
This small antique brass Nandi is exquisitely handcrafted with a wonderfully aged patina. He sits recumbent on a raised rectangular platform. Delicately incised with decorative details delineating the head, neck, snout and body, his right leg and tail are sinuous, graceful ornaments rather than defining features. His head is at a 45-degree with lyrically curved horns in contrast to most versions with horns extending backwards. This Nandi is based on a South Indian cow whose humpback is emphasized here by two parallel lines covering it as if is part of a saddle or another ornament feature.
This antique carving of a wood food offering with a lacquer coating was an auspicious ornament for a Chinese bed to bring the lucky couple prosperity, health and a happy life. The pomegranate on top is a fertility and the four peaches below are longevity symbols. The combination of the fruits is a wish for many sons and longevity and is perfect gift for newlyweds.
This delicately carved and beautiful antique document holder was probably a wedding gift as it is decorated auspicious symbols for the newly married couple. The high openwork backing in a hill-like form has two lotuses in gold extending from its side and there is another on the bottom border. The words for lotus in Chinese have…
This stoneware glazed garden stool was used by a wealthy family reflected in its complex designs, auspicious symbols and its use of so much cobalt blue, a highly prized and expensive mineral paint color normally used sparingly. The pierced side to side circles running through the inside from side to side and the pierced design…
Wall pockets remain a very common decorative element in Asian homes. In China, they are used to hold chopsticks and flowers to bring good fortune to a space where the family gathers. This Shiwan stoneware pocket has 2 very auspicious symbols: a frog and a lotus that symbolize nurturing energy and transformation. With a hole in the back for hanging on a wall, it is great addition to enhance a kitchen’s coziness and feng shui and a wonderful wedding gift.
Decorative utilitarian Shiwan ware pieces are recognized for their fine modeling, vivid expression, and colorful apple-green and drip glazes. Chopsticks were commonly stored in wall pockets with a hole for mounting. Covered with auspicious symbols, they were often part of a bride’s dowry as “chopsticks” is a pun for “speedy arrival of sons.” It can hold utensils, dried flowers, and other objects and is a unique wedding gift.
This intricately hand carved gold and silver platter with indentations on both sides was used to make confections called sweetmeats eaten at festivals, holidays, and other key celebrations. The round molds symbolize the moon and cohesion of the family. The 5-petal plum blossoms attached to vines symbolize purity and endurance, as well as the coming of spring, renewal, and longevity. The multiple seeds are a wish for fertility and sons, and thus this mold may have been a holiday and/or marriage gift to a young couple.
This charming oil lamp is decorated with auspicious symbols: Fish symbolize harmony, marital happiness and double fish mean “may there be abundance.” The oil cup is a lotus seed with a lotus leaf, symbols of a harmonious and fruitful marriage and also mean “the continuous birth of sons,”
This antique carving of a Devi, the Sanskrit word for divine probably was a child’s toy and and a protective item. She has a tikka mark on her forehead, ample breasts – a wish for fertility-, and an upright stance asserting her position as a protective deity. It has been handled so often the wood and paint are extremely smooth with a shiny patina.
This finely detailed hardwood mold was used to make sweetmeats confections, perhaps mooncakes for the Chinese Autumn Moon Festival. It is covered with deeply carved propitious symbols for marital harmony, sons and successful endeavors: a four clawed dragon for fertility, two ducks symbolizing marital bliss and harmony, one atop a carp for conjugal bliss and achieving noble rank and a boat with a sail for making all this easy sailing. This would be a great accessory or gift (especially for weddings) to spice up any kitchen.
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