Li Yinging (Chinese, B. 1936) "Year of the Rooster" Stamp lower left. Original Watercolor. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. It is Chinese New Year. People dressed in brightly-colored quilted jackets dance through a sea of exploding firecrackers. A dragon with a papier-mache head wends its way through the crowd. Homes are decorated with signs saying "Good Health and Prosperity." New Year's morning, children wish their parents Gong ho xin xi or "Respectful greetings, new happiness." Relatives gather to feast on lichee nuts, meat turnovers, fried dumplings and tea. There are joyful games, simple gifts. Youngsters receive red envelopes filled with small amounts of money. In the country, people make nian hua -- festive pictures which have decorated Chinese homes for a thousand years every New Year. It is a time of rest and recreation, a time to clear out the old, clean the house and repay debts. The celebrations last for 15 days until the Lantern Festival, when parades and dances fill nearly every street. For 5,000 years, 12 animals have symbolized each of 12 repeating-year cycles in China's lunar calendar. People born under the same animal sign are said to show similar personality traits. Thus, individuals born in the Years of the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig each have distinctive characteristics. It is said that people born during the Year of the Rooster are stubborn, logical and highly successful. Image Size: 12 x 10 in. Overall Size: 12.25 x 10.25 in. Unframed. (B14068)