Fish (鱼 yu) puns with the word yu 余 meaning ‘abundance’, therefore it symbolises wealth and prosperity. Lotus (莲 lian) puns with the word lian 连 meaning ‘to continue’ or ‘to connect’, and it is associated with the Chinese phrase lian nian 连年 meaning ‘year in, year out’. Hence, a fish and a lotus together signify ‘wealth for all the future’ by a double wordplay.

Relater Pun Pictures:

May your jade palatial home be honoured and full of riches 玉堂富贵

May you be trouble-free and roll in wealth 平安多利

• Fig 1: porcelain wine jar, Jiajing period (1522–66), Ming dynasty, courtesy of the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore

  Fig 2: porcelain dish, Wanli period (1573–1620), Ming dynasty, courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

  Fig 3: inkstone, Qianlong period (1736–95), Qing dynasty, courtesy of the National Palace Museum, Taipei