Chinese Ho Ho Boy Oil Lamp, C. 1850

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This 19th-century Chinese oil lamp is shaped of porcelain in the form of a young boy or baby, a motif … Read more This 19th-century Chinese oil lamp is shaped of porcelain in the form of a young boy or baby, a motif often referred to as a "ho ho boy." Children are a popular motif in Chinese art and are considered lucky talismans for prospective parents.

Glazed in creme and brown in the style of cizhou ware, the baby wears a dudou apron painted with the fú (福) symbol for good fortune. As though balancing a basket on his head, the ho ho boy is topped with a small cup for burning oil, likely for use during ancestor worship on a home altar. See less