Cranes appear on Chinese robes, lacquer and bronze as a symbol of long life, largely because the red-crowned crane is genuinely long-lived and pairs for life. As a sculptural subject it is convenient: the long legs and neck give a vertical form that reads well on a mantelpiece or sideboard.
This pair is solid brass with felt pads under the feet. The feet are small relative to the height, so make sure whatever they stand on is flat; the older versions were weighted in the base for exactly this reason.