In the early 20th century, new ideas and commodities flowed into the old Chinese capital of Beijing. Decorative gates were raised at the end of commercial streets, constructed from modern materials but with traditional features woven into to their designs. Inspired by the symbols found on these gates, we have created a series of socks depicting auspicious Chinese animals. They commemorate a time when China found itself in limbo between dynasty and republic, using old blessings in new ways.

福在眼前 Blessings Upon You

In China the bat is traditionally a symbol of blessings. The earliest depictions of auspicious bats in Chinese art date back more than 2000 years. The bat on this pair of socks is inspired by the decorative gate of the Dashilar street in Beijing. When the gate was erected in the early 1900s it combined a western-style iron design with traditional Chinese auspicious features like bats, fish and coins.

年年有余 Years of Brimful Happiness

“Years of brimful happiness" (“Nian Nian You Yu”) is a saying in Chinese often symbolized by a fish motif. In a 2000 year-old Han Chinese tomb, murals of fish seem to have signified a special relationship with heaven. Later, due to the Chinese pronunciation of the word “fish” being similar to the word for “surplus”, fish came to symbolize a life of plenty. The fish embroidered on this pair of socks is taken from the decorative gate of the Xianyukou fish market of old Beijing.