Fat, tre stycken, porslin. Late Qing dynasty with Daoguang mark in red.

From the private collection of a Swedish family in Närke. The couple has a keen interest in art and antiques and started to collect in the 1960’s, attending auctions, antique shops, and antique fairs. Always seeking additional pieces that would adorn their home and that intrigued them with its quality and history.

Crickets hold a lot of symbolism in Chinese culture. From the Chun Qui period (770-476 B.C.) crickets were kept as symbols of luck and auspicious virtue. Whenever autumn arrives, the ladies of the palace catch crickets and guarded them in small golden cages, which were placed near their pillows so as to hear their songs during the night.

They have been known to inspire scholars to write poems, they are a symbol of good luck to give to someone who is moving in to a new house. The crickets also have many children, something that was important and highly regarded in the past.