Antique Chinese and Japanese Porcelain collector's help and info page

GLOSSARY

Bai chai (White Chinese cabbage)

Bai chai or "white vegetable" is the term used for Chinese cabbage. It occurs as a decorative item in Chinese porcelain, typically from the end of the 19th century on porcelain intended for the Chinese and South East Asian market. Bai chai is homophone with windfall as in an unexpected, unearned, or sudden gain or advantage, so many Chinese household like to hang them outside the house during Chinese New Year to greet the lion dance troupe, as it symbolizes unexpected fortune in the coming year.

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