Silver pendant and chain. The 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. Osmanthus flowers (Distinguished sons) bloom under the qilin. Dangling from the osmanthus flowers under the qilin hang four chains with small bells in the shape of Pomegranate fruits which symbolize a wish for many children as they contain many seeds. The pendant dates from the late Qing (1644 – 1912) to the early Republic period ( 1912 – 1947). Total length chain 42 cm. Pendant width 6.5 cm. Height 5.7 cm. Depth 1.3 cm. Total weight 34 grams.