Pair of silver pendants shaped as a baby Boys who carry Lotus flowers across their shoulder. These pendants were most probably a wedding gift. A boy carrying a Lotus is a pun ‘May you continuously give birth to Distinguished sons’ (liansheng guizi). The boy implies the wish for a son and the lotus (lian) also means Continuous (lian). In Chinese culture the absence of sons was a disaster. Wearing a small charm in the shape of a baby boy was supposed to ensure the arrival of a son. These lovely but unmarked figures date from the late Qing period (1644 – 1912). Length 4.3 cm. Width 2.7 cm. Depth 1.1 cm.