Silver pendant and chain. The pendant is shaped as a baby Boy who holds a Lotus flower in one hand and his little ‘willy’, which pops out, in the other. This small pendant was most probably a wedding gift. A boy carrying a Lotus is a pun ‘May you continuously give birth to Distinguished sons’ (liansheng guizi). The boy implies the wish for a son and the lotus (lian) means Continuous (lian). He has a Cymbidium flower on his back which symbolizes Friendship and Grandchildren. The hook at the end of the chain is decorated with a stylized Butterfly (Blessings and Happiness). In Chinese culture the absence of sons was a disaster. Wearing a small charm in the shape of a baby boy was supposed to ensure the arrival of a son. This charming but unmarked figure dates from the late Qing period (1644 – 1912). Length including chain 15 cm. Boy length 3.5 cm. Width 2.2 cm. Depth 1.4 cm.