Fisherman, $2

The Chinese region of Shiwan has been famous for its hand-painted earthenware statuary for thousands of years. This fisherman is a favourite subject and he is to be found in many Chinese homes. Together with the farmer, scholar and woodcutter he represents one of the four main pursuits of ancient Chinese society. But he is the favourite because the word for fish is a homonym for abundance, and while the Chinese are really into the idea of abundance they are really, really into their homonyms.