Pair of bells shaped as lychees. The Lychee is a tropical and subtropical tree native to the Chinese provinces of Guangdong and Fujian. The fresh fruit has a ‘delicate, whitish flesh’ with a floral smell and a fragrant, sweet flavor. It symbolizes Good Fortune and depictions in jade, silver and gold were often given as a wedding presents. These came in the shape of bells because their sound was supposed to chase away evil spirits. This pair of bells which is not marked dates from the late Qing (1644 – 1912) to the early Republic period. Width 4.2 cm. Height 3.7 cm. Depth 1.8 cm.