China, 1917

by Byron Thomas Prideaux

Junks, sailing vessels developed during the Han Dynasty, have plied the waters of China’s rivers and seas for over 2000 years. These junks were often elaborately decorated, and this image (by the amateur photographer B. Prideaux) is a wonderful example of such work. Painted on the stern of this ship are a myriad of figures, symbols and designs. The central image, as is the case with many junks of this era, is the bird Feng, a creature believed to represent Confucian virtues of loyalty, honesty, decorum and justice.