Lotus Boy Painted Panel

Created in China's Shanxi province in the 19th-century, this hand-painted panel once concealed a compartment within a large cabinet. To the delight of its owners, each time the cabinet door was opened they were greeted by the image of this charming young boy tooting a horn. Children were a popular motif in Chinese artwork, and this youngster was considered a lucky talisman, especially for prospective parents hoping for a healthy pregnancy.