Mandarin ducks

A pair of mandarin ducks, said never to part — a Chinese image of a faithful marriage.

The story · three layers

The story, in three layers.

Record, Folk and Modern are kept apart, and each one carries its source.

Record

Jin dynasty

Cui Bao’s Gujin Zhu says the male and female mandarin duck stay together; if one is caught, the other pines until it dies.

Folk

V&A collection

The Victoria and Albert Museum describes a pair of mandarin ducks as a symbol of faithfulness in marriage.

III

Modern

Wishlore, today

We show the ducks as a pair, as they were drawn, and keep the old story with them.

Mandarin ducks

Jin-dynasty Gujin Zhu

Story and sources on the reverse

Pl. IIThe story card. Every printed piece carries the story and a code that opens the full source list.

Keep it close

Download & print

Print-ready card and phone wallpaper

£2.99Sample price

Printed story card, posted

Story and source code on the reverse

£8Sample price

Wish for someone

A private note in your own account. Nothing is sent to them.

Free

In one breath

Said never to part, so they were drawn as a pair. Who would you keep it for?