Ancient Chinese Art
The star god, Luxing, is in charge of wishes for wealth and rank. A flower symbolic of these wishes is the tree peony, or mudan. Cultivated by royalty for many years for its beauty, it is known as fuguihua, the flower of wealth and rank. When it is combined with magnolia (yulan) and crab apple blossoms (haitang), it forms the rebus yutang fugui, or �wealth and rank in the jade
hall.� Officials gained their positions by passing difficult exams, and so parents encouraged their children to excel in their studies so they would have a chance to take these examinations. The Jade Hall was the official bureau made up of the highest literary scholars. This lock is a good luck charm presented to a baby boy to �lock� him to earth so he would live to achieve high honors.
Lock, design of Peony and Inscription, Jade, height 5.9 cm. Qing dynasty, 19th century. Gift of R.W. Winskill. Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.