Liannian youyu – Surplus Year after Year
Liannian youyu – Surplus Year after Year
Yangjiabu, Shandong
35x45cm
Modern reprint of early twentieth century
In these paired images, originally designed to be affixed to a double doorway within the home, a young mother carrying a flower basket accompanies her son holding a large fish. The fish, pronounced yu in Mandarin, is linked to the written phrase liannian youyu, which means “surplus year after year”. The flowers also are symbolic, with the lotus representing fertility and the peony standing for beauty, honor and wealth.
