Silver pendant and necklace. The pendant comes in the shape of a Boy with a Lotus flower and a bamboo mouth organ riding on a Qilin. A Boy carrying a Lotus flower (lian) and a mouth organ (sheng) 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 the long gown of a First Candidate during the Civil Service Exams. Dangling from the Clouds (Granting all wishes) under the qilin are four chains with small bells all decorated with floral designs as well as one with an unknown flower. The pendant dates from the late Qing (1644 – 1912) to the early Republic period ( 1912 – 1947). Total length chain 43 cm. Pendant width 6.6 cm. Height 6.3 cm. Depth 1.2 cm. Total weight 38 grams.