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My favorite translation of wulou is “holder of precious things.” In ancient China, these snowman-shaped bottle gourds were used to carry water, wine and medicine. Today, they’re a popular symbol of health, longevity, good fortune and prosperity, purported to hold magical elixirs and absorb bad luck, evil spirits and negative qi (energy). You can find them cast in gold, carved out of jade — or fashioned out of pearls as in the little earrings above.

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