1-234-033 - The Museum of East Asian Art/Heritage Images

Jade finial of mandarin duck and lotus, late Ming dynasty, China, 1550-1644. A white jade finial (with four holes in the bottom for attachment) carved as a mandarin duck sitting on a lotus leaf. The bird holds in its beak a spray of lotus flower and leaf and water weeds, all in delicate tracery. The mandarin duck, which mates for life, was a symbol of marital fidelity in China and a very popular subject in Chinese art.