Shou Symbol with Jade Necklace - Chinese from the collection of the Peabody Essex Museum

Asian Collection - Like a written or spoken language, symbols in Chinese art are a means of communication. The shou character, or ideogram, means "long life." According to traditional beliefs, the presence of a given visual symbol could have a specific, desired effect on the life of the bearer. Our stylized shou symbol is adapted from a Chinese necklace in the collection of the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts.  Necklace, 17"