MING DYNASTY, 15TH-16TH CENTURY

The depiction of children in Chinese art has its roots in Buddhist beliefs influenced by Daoism. By the Tang dynasty, images of healthy children were no longer confined to religious art, but began to appear on many types of secular art as an auspicious symbol. This cheerful theme was popularized by the Southern Song dynasty court artist, Su Hanchen (active early 12th century), and continued into the Ming period, when artists adapted it to convey auspicious wishes. On the present cover, for example, the three boys are shown lighting a fire cracker, which is often associated with the wish for prosperity.