Pun Design:

Chinese bulbul + Two

Punning Details:

A pair of Chinese bulbuls in image imply the couple or the marriage;

‘bai tou 白头 white-headed’, of ‘bai tou weng 白头翁 Chinese bulbul’ (the white-headed-old-chap bird) can imply a ripe old age.

Therefore, the whole image expresses the good wish for the couple to be in a happy and harmonious relationship to a ripe old age.

• Fig 1: yuhuchun porcelain bottle with underglaze blue decoration, Yongle period (1403–1424), Ming dynasty, courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum

  Fig 2: hanging scroll (detail), ink and colour on paper, Yun Shouping (1633–1690), courtesy of Beijing Longrong International Auctions, 13 October 2013