Zu Tianli (Chinese, 20th C.) "Year of the Rooster" Water color on Paper. 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-mach? 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. The sign of the Rooster indicates a person who is hard-working and definite about their decisions. Roosters are not afraid to speak their minds and can therefore come across as boastful. The Rooster years are: 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993 and 2005. Image Size: 13.75 x 11.25 in. Overall Size: 24 x 20 in. Unframed. (B11284)