Silver pendant and chain. The small but very well executed pendant comes in the shape of a Boy with a Lotus flower riding on a Qilin. A Boy carrying a Lotus flower (lian) means ‘May you continuously give birth to Distinguished sons’ (liansheng guizi). And a boy riding on a qilin is a pun ‘May the Qilin bring you a son’ (qilin songzi). The Qilin is a mythical creature that has the same role as the stork in the West. The boy is wearing the crown and long gown of a First Scholar during the Civil Service Exams. Under the qilin dangle four chains with small bells in the shape of two Finger citrons (Blessings & Longevity), a Melon (many children) and a Lotus Pod (Fertility). The diminutive size of the pendant and the short length of the chain point at its use by a very small child. It dates from the late Qing period (1644 – 1912) and is marked with the name Yu Yuan (鈺源) who may have been the silversmith or the retailer. Total length chain 37 cm. Pendant width 4.6 cm. Height 4.2 cm. Depth 0.9 cm. Total weight 24 grams.