Small bronze weight which was used to weigh down the ends of a scroll painting. It comes in the shape of two boys of which each one alternately lies on his back or on his belly depending in which direction the paper weight is turned. They are joined in a clever way to give the illusion that there are four boys. This ‘good luck’ symbol, known as 'Four-fold Happiness', is frequently given to newlyweds with the wish that they will have many children. One boy holds a ruyi scepter. Ruyi means ’as you wish’ and wishes the owner everything he desires. The other boy holds a rattle-hand drum in his hand which most probably served to chase away evil spirits. The paperweight dates from the Ming period (1368 – 1644AD). Length 6.3 cm. Width 6.3 cm.