Steeped in ancient symbolism, this exquisitely carved jade pendant evinces an aura of spiritual beauty. Here we observe the sensitive rendering of a mother and child, suggesting to us the timeless miracle of life and perpetual renew al. The woman holds in her hand a lidded vase, one of the eight emblems of good luck in Chinese Buddhism, and a symbol of wholeness and the concept of supreme intelligence triumphant over birth and death. Behind the mother and child our eye is directed to a large nimbus, the ancient visual expression of supernatural force. Beneath the child appears a beautifully carved fish, again hearkening us back to age-old spirited concepts, for the fish is believed by many to be a psychic being, endowed with heightened powers concerning the unconscious. The character of the fish encompasses other notions as well. By reason of its bobbin-like shape, the fish represents a kind of "bird of the netherworld", symbolic of sacrifice and of the relationship between heaven and earth. On the other hand, by virtue of the extraordinary number of its eggs, it is also a symbol of fertility. In this sculpted jade pendant a complexity of spirit combines with intricate detail, revealing to us an extraordinarily potent work of art, one that touches our deepest emotive sensibilities.