1760-1840

An emblem of courage, the katydid in Chinese is pronounced guoguo, which sounds the same as the word 'country'. The rebus is interpreted as jinzhong baoguo, meaning 'to be loyal to one's country'. Large quantities of imperially made bottles were presented to officials around the country as a sign of imperial recognition. Such a pun would have been a subtle and effective way of reminding officials of an essential feature of Confucian government. Another reason for the popularity of the katydid imagery is linked to the production of cricket and katydid cages and the popular pastime of katydid fights.