<div id="fb-root"></div>
Yang Shen (杨慎, 1488-1559), alias Sheng’an (升庵), is a literatus and poet in the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). He recorded in Volume Ninety-Four of Sheng’an Additional Works a folklore anecdote: ‘In the northern dialect, there is no difference in sound between the he 合 for “coming together” and the he 鹤 for “<a style="color: #3366ff;" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/crane/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crane</a>”. There are people who painted six cranes and a Chinese cedar tree to form a pun rebus design meaning “liu he tong chun (六合同春), i.e. May the whole universe prosper in eternal spring”.’ (杨慎《升庵外集》卷九十四:“北之语合鹤迥然不分，故有绘六鹤及椿树为图者，取六合同春之义”. ) The Chinese phrase ‘liu he 六鹤’ for ‘six cranes’ puns on the phrase ‘liu he 六合’ for ‘six directions’, i.e., heaven, earth, north, south, east, and west, namely, ‘the universe’. The Chinese cedar or mahogany tree, i.e., toona sinensis, is called ‘chun 椿’ tree in Chinese and is used as a pun on ‘chun 春’ for ‘the spring season’.
Unfortunately, there are no examples of this ingenious ancient design passed down. However, there is a related pun rebus design extant on ancient porcelain and other handcrafted art works. This design consists of three key elements: <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/deer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deer</a>, crane, and the wu tong 梧桐 tree, or Chinese parasol tree. In some Chinese dialects, the combination of the Chinese characters ‘lu 鹿’ and ‘he 鹤’ for ‘deer and crane’ makes a pun on ‘liu he 六合’ for ‘six directions’ or ‘the universe’. The image of the wu tong 梧桐 tree, or Chinese parasol tree in the design cues the concept of ‘tong chun 同春’, meaning ‘sharing the spring season’. The pun rebus design appears as early as in the Ming dynasty on a Longquan celadon garden seat. As a culturally cherished picture, it also appears on a porcelain bottle vase and a table screen both crafted in the Qing dynasty (1644-1911).
The diligent Japanese scholar Nozaki Nobuchika 野崎诚近 collected this design in his pioneering volume on Chinese pun rebus pictures 吉祥図案解題: 支那風俗の一研究. His illustration clearly shows the three key elements that form the pun rebus. However, in the title of this picture, he literally put down Chinese characters ‘lu 鹿’ for ‘deer’ and ‘he 鹤’ for ‘crane’, instead of the concept ‘liu he 六合’ for ‘six directions’ or ‘the universe’, to which the two creatures were meant to refer.
Luckily enough, a related Qing-dynasty New Year print with both a deer and a crane on it is still in existence. On top of the picture, the Chinese phrase “liu he tong chun (六合同春), i.e. May the whole universe prosper in eternal spring” is printed verbatim. Although the careless print maker failed to include the wu tong 梧桐 tree, or Chinese parasol tree, in the design, it is evident that this was a popular auspicious theme in traditional China.
literature research: by Dr <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>

May the whole universe prosper in eternal spring

<div id="fb-root"></div>
The Chinese character for ‘monkey’ is 猴 hou and it puns on the word for ‘marquis’ in Chinese 侯 hou. The expression ‘mashang 马上’ in Chinese is ambiguous in that it can mean, literally, ‘on a/the horse’, or it can mean, idiomatically, ‘right away’. Therefore, an image of a monkey on the back of a horse can be used, auspiciously, to convey the message ‘May you be bestowed the title of a marquis presently’.
Related Pun Pictures:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/pun-pictures/may-you-be-created-a-peer-and-earn-a-handsome-official-income/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">May you be created a peer and earn a handsome official income 爵禄封侯</a>
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/pun-pictures/may-you-have-an-imminent-promotion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">May you have an imminent promotion 封侯</a>

May you be bestowed the title of a marquis presently

<div id="fb-root"></div>
Pun Design: <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/pun-pictures/lets-celebrate-universal-peace-and-prosperity/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apples</a> + <a style="color: #3366ff;" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/quail/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Quails </a>+ <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/lychee/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lychee</a>
Punning Details：
The Chinese character ‘ping 苹’ in ‘ping guo 苹果’ for ‘apple’ can make a pun on ‘ping 平’ for ‘peace’. The word ‘an 鹌’ in ‘an chun 鹌鹑’ for ‘quail’ puns on ‘an 安’, another Chinese word for ‘peace’. The word ‘li 荔’ in ‘li zhi 荔枝’ for ‘lychee’ sounds the same as ‘li 利’ for ‘profit’. Thus, this seemingly random juxtaposition of lychee, quails, and apples was used by the prominent 20th-century Chinese painter Qi Baishi (齐白石, 1864-1957) to convey a good wish for the recipient of the painting to enjoy both wealth and peace.
&nbsp;
画面要素: 苹果 + 鹌鹑 + 荔枝
谐音详情: ‘苹果’ 中 ‘苹’ 的谐音 ‘平’, ‘鹌鹑’ 中 ‘鹌’ 与 ‘安’ 谐音, ‘荔枝’ 中 ‘荔’ 与 ‘利’ 谐音。
&nbsp;
Related Pun Pictures:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/pun-pictures/may-you-have-plenty-of-profit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">May you have plenty of profit</a> 多利
<a style="color: #3366ff;" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/pun-pictures/may-you-do-well-in-exams-and-enjoy-wealth-and-prestige/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">May you do well in exams and enjoy wealth and prestige</a> 功名富贵

May you be trouble-free and roll in wealth

<div id="fb-root"></div>
The main figure in the scene is a dignitary, often gripping a hu (笏) tablet in his hands, which an official uses to take notes when he has audience with the emperor in court. He is usually sheltered by page boys erecting some fans or a parasol or guarded by a soldier holding a weapon with an iron melon on the top. Facing the dignitary is an attendant presenting a vase containing three miniature ji (戟) halberds to him. Sometimes there is a tray underneath the vase. The Chinese character for ‘vase’ is 瓶 ping, which is a pun on 平 ping for ‘unexpectedly’ or ‘surprisingly’. The character for the halberd is 戟 ji, which puns on 级 ji for ‘grade or rank’ and three halberds stand for ‘three ranks’. Put together, the design is used to express the message “May you have three successive promotions unexpectedly” (平升三级 ping sheng san ji).
Related Pun Pictures:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/pun-pictures/may-you-have-three-promotions-continuously/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">May you have three promotions continuously! 连升三级</a>
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/pun-pictures/may-you-be-created-a-peer-and-earn-a-handsome-official-income/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">May you be created a peer and earn a handsome official income 爵禄封侯</a>

May you have three successive promotions unexpectedly!

<div id="fb-root"></div>
A gathering of four distinctively different <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/fish/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fishes </a>can be read as a pun rebus design expressing an admonishing message ‘qing bai lian jie 清白廉洁’, which literally means ‘pure, unblemished, <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/pun-pictures/you-are-an-honest-and-uncorrupted-official-in-your-entire-career/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">incorruptible</a>, and clean’.
The name of ‘qingyu 青鱼’, literally ‘blue fish’, puns on the Chinese character ‘qing 清’ for ‘pure’. ‘Baiyu 白鱼’ literally means ‘white fish’, having a white body and head. Its name is a homograph of ‘bai 白’ meaning ‘unblemished’. ‘Lianyu 鲢鱼’ means ‘chub’, whose name makes a pun on ‘lian 廉’ for ‘incorruptible’. The unmistakable ‘guiyu 鳜鱼 (mandarin fish)’ has a characteristic mottled appearance and undivided tail. The phonetic radical of the name of this fish is ‘jue 厥’, which puns on the character ‘jie 洁’ for ‘clean’.
The design may be served as a good wish for a promising official friend or a self-admonishing reminder as part of the interior decoration scheme in a conscientious official’s office or study. The actual design and the arrangement of the fishes may well vary since the design was a conventional one spread among manual labourers and folk artisans and everybody contributed their inspiration to the end product. However, a corpus of various versions of this theme reveals a clear pattern, prominently with the unmistakable mandarin fish and the white fish in it.
New research on the extant examples of this pun rebus design written by Dr <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a> is published <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/commonly-misunderstood-images/more-than-a-naturalistic-motif-of-fish-pond-recognition-of-chinese-pun-rebus-pictures/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Reference:
Jeffrey P. Stamen and Cynthia Volk with Yibin Ni, A Culture Revealed: Kangxi-Era Chinese Porcelain from the Jie Rui Tang Collection: Jieruitang Publishing. 2017, p. 200-201.

May you remain pure, clean, and incorruptible

<div id="fb-root"></div>
‘San gong 三公’ are the ‘Three Top Lords in the Imperial Court’. The ‘gong 公’ from the Chinese name ‘gong ji 公鸡’ for ‘rooster’ puns on the Chinese name for ‘lord’ and three roosters in the picture represent the three top lords, which are the three top positions in the imperial court. The Chinese name for ‘cypress’ is ‘bai 柏’, which puns on ‘bai 百’ for ‘one hundred’. Hence the whole image expresses the wish for highly respected person to have a very long life.
&nbsp;
Related Blog:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/interesting-findings/birthday-party-of-the-queen-mother-of-the-west/">The Birthday Party of the Queen Mother of the West 西王母祝寿</a>
Related motif:
<a style="color: #0000ff;" href="http://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/rooster/">Rooster 公鸡</a>

May my Lord live up to one hundred years

<div id="fb-root"></div>
A large Longquan pottery rooster sculpted on a rock sends good fortune to the receiver’s or owner’s family because da ji 大 鸡 for ‘large rooster’ sounds the same as da ji 大 吉 for ‘great good fortune’ and shi shang 石上 for ‘on the rock’ puns on shi shang 室上 for ‘in your family’. Hence the rooster announces to the proud owner “May everything fare fabulously in your family!”
&nbsp;
Related Pun Picture: <a style="color: #0000ff;" href="http://tutuhaoyi.com/pun-pictures/may-you-enjoy-imminent-good-fortune/">May you enjoy imminent good fortune 大吉</a>
Related motif: <a style="color: #0000ff;" href="http://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/rooster/">Rooster 公鸡</a>

May everything fare fabulously in your family

<div id="fb-root"></div>
Pun Design: Persimmons + <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/quail/">Quails</a>
Punning Details:
The word ‘shi 柿’ in ‘shi zi 柿子’ for ‘persimmon’ can pun on ‘shi 事’ for ‘things’. The repetition of ‘shi’ as ‘shi shi 事事’ means ‘everything’. The word ‘an 鹌’ in ‘an chun 鹌鹑’ for ‘quail’ puns on ‘an 安’ for ‘peace’ and in this case cues the phrase ‘an shun 安顺’ for ‘peaceful and smooth’.
画面要素: 柿子 + 鹌鹑
谐音详情: ‘柿子’中 ‘柿’与 ‘事’ 谐音, 叠字则为 ‘事事’, ‘鹌鹑’ 谐音 ‘安顺’。

May everything go smoothly with you

<div id="fb-root"></div>
Pun Design: Persimmons + Apples + <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/quail/">Quails</a>
Punning Details：
The Chinese character ‘shi 柿’ in ‘shi zi 柿子’ for ‘persimmon’ can pun on ‘shi 事’ for ‘things’. The repetition of ‘shi’ as ‘shi shi 事事’ means ‘everything’. The word ‘ping 苹’ in ‘ping guo 苹果’ for ‘apple’ can make a pun on ‘ping 平’ for ‘peace’. The word ‘an 鹌’ in ‘an chun 鹌鹑’ for ‘quail’ puns on ‘an 安’, another Chinese word for ‘peace’.
&nbsp;
画面要素: 柿子 + 苹果 + 鹌鹑
谐音详情: ‘柿子’ 中 ‘柿’ 与 ‘事’ 谐音, 叠字则为 ‘事事’, ‘苹果’ 中 ‘苹’ 谐音 ‘平’, ‘鹌鹑’ 中 ‘鹌’ 与 ‘安’ 谐音。
&nbsp;
Related Pun Rebus:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/pun-pictures/may-you-enjoy-peace-and-harmony/">May you enjoy peace and harmony</a> 安和

May you live in harmony

<div id="fb-root"></div>
Pun Design: Two + <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/quail/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Quails</a>
Punning Details: The word ‘an 鹌’ in ‘an chun 鹌鹑’ for ‘quail’ makes a pun on ‘an 安’ for ‘peace’. The Chinese word for ‘double’ is ‘shuang 双’. When there is a gathering of two quails, i.e.‘shuang an 双鹌’, a pictorial pun can be formed to mean ‘shuang an 双安’ for ‘both living a peaceful life’ or ‘double peace’.
画面要素:   二 + 鹌鹑；
谐音详情:  以‘两只鹌鹑’的形象表‘双安’
&nbsp;
Related topic:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/pun-pictures/heavenly-immortals-and-fairies-are-celebrating-your-birthday/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Heavenly immortals and fairies are celebrating your birthday 天仙拱寿</a>

Pun Pictures

Newsletter

Quick Links

CHINESE ICONOGRAPHY

KNOW US MORE

FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA