A Year of Good Fortune: Legends of the Rooster and Traditions of the Chinese New Year
鸡年吉祥：中国新年的传统

Yang 阳 (bright) is the universal force characterized by the sun, daylight, and males. The Chinese people believe that the rooster is an incarnation of yang because it crows at dawn. To celebrate the Year of the Rooster, this art exhibition, which focused on the rooster/chicken as an auspicious symbol, was assembled from works in both private and museum collections. The rooster/chicken motif can be seen from the sixth century BCE to modern times. Fifty-five objects were exhibited in various media, including ceramics, bronzes, textiles, embroidery, paper cuts, paintings, and wooden sculptures. Other objects shown were used to determine and ensure good fortune, such as jade ruyi 如意 and oracle bones.