Rondel with the motif of a young boy on a unicorn

In China the mythical unicorn (qilin) is believed to be a bringer of sons. Here a young boy in princely costume carries a mouth organ (sheng, which sounds like the word for "giving birth") and a stalk of osmanthus flowers (guihua; "flower of nobility"). The combined motif is therefore a pun symbolizing the continuous birth of noble sons (liansheng guizi).