Gilt silver pendant and a plain silver, not gilt, necklace. The pendant comes in the shape of a Boy with a cute face and a ruyi scepter in his hand seated on a Qilin which also looks quite amusing. 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 ruyi scepter symbolizes ‘Everything you wish for’. The boy wears the crown and the long gown of a First Candidate during the Civil Service Examinations. A bottle gourd under the qilin symbolizes Blessings & Fertility. The pendant dates from the late Qing (1644 – 1912) to the early Republic period (1912 – 1947). Total length chain 28 cm. Pendant width 7.0 cm. Height 7.4 cm. Depth 0.7 cm. Total weight 33 grams.