IMPERIAL, PALACE WORKSHOPS, BEIJING, 1770-1799

Katydids (guoguo) pun on the Chinese word for "elder brother", conveying a wish for male progeny. The words for katydids, crickets and grasshoppers form the rebus zhongsi yanqing (May your children be as numerous as grasshoppers). An alternative meaning for the motif comes from the association of "katydid" (guoguo) with a homonym for "country" to form the expression jinzhong baoguo, meaning "to be loyal to one's country." The pun was a subtle way of reminding officials of an essential tenet of Confucian government. In addition, the insects are emblematic of courage, and some species for their fighting prowess, and were popular at every level of society in China, valued for their merry chirping.