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Show Chinese Good Wishes Conveyed by Symbols From the earliest times, fish have played an important part in Chinese life and art, and in the Book of Odes we find constant references to them. The homonym of fish is "abundance," and it Is a symbol of power and rank. They are among the charms given to keep away demons nnd evil spirits. The homonym of eagle Is "heroic," so that the picture of an eagle on a rock is a symbol of heroism and of tense and vigorous life. The wild goose and the duck are symbols of conjugal fidelity, and mutual assistance, assist-ance, so pairs of earthenware or porcelain por-celain ducks are favorite wedding presents. A while or goldi n pheasant on a scroll is an allusion to a council hall In the Han Lin academy, and thus the symbol expresses the wish that the recipient may have happiness, longevity and official preferment. The crane is a bird of good augury, and only surpassed by the phoenix. It is 1 he aerial steed of the Immortals, Immor-tals, for it was a crane which enr- ried Emperor Wang to the celestial celes-tial world, so the gift of a crane scroll signifies a wish of permanent health. |