Bats

A bat (fu 蝠) is a homphone and a visual pun for fu (fu 福) as “good fortune” or “happiness” as both words have a similar pronunciations. An upside-down bat means “to have arrived” as the character (dao 倒) for “upside-down” and the character (dao 到) for bat are also homophones So, a bat flying upside down means “happiness has arrived.” The bat is one of the most popular rebuses, symbolizes “blessings” or “riches” and five bats together symbolize the five most auspicious wishes (the 5 Blessings) one can wish for in life: health, prosperity, long life, a natural death and the love of virtue. Red bats mean “widespread good fortune” and bats with a swastika mean “ten thousand-fold wishes for good fortune and happiness.”

Showing all 6 results

  • Antique Footed Lacquer Sweetmeat Confection Mold, China

    $625.00

    Although wood sweetmeat (tianshin) confection molds were used to make pastry deserts for religious and secular occasions, this exceptionally crafted and beautiful hardwood footed one was most likely a marriage gift in a wealthy family as seen in the decorative images and their symbolic meanings which were easily recognized by the owners. Elaborated and elegantly decorated in vibrant reds and gilt the mold sits on feet decorated with lotuses and the side apron with upside-down bats. Wishes for fidelity and fecundity are represented by paired fish and lotus pods filled with seeds. This is one of the ultimate wedding gifts, a blessing for the newlyweds and their future children.  Although slightly warped from age, it is in excellent condition.

     

  • Antique Garden Stool with Framed Panels, China

    $1,400.00

    This stunning antique garden stool has parallel ridges surrounding its body and is a fine and rare piece. Hand thrown with a thick high-fired stable body, it has six framed panels with historic and symbolic images against a white background focusing on the finely made and intricate designs surrounded by rich cobalt blue. Most garden stools were made in a drum or barrel shape, far fewer were hexagonal and fewer still had auspicious objects and poems framed within the panels. This fine piece was created for the garden of a rich family, as cobalt was highly prized and expensive used in sparing amounts unless bound for an an important client. This unique piece has not only outstanding rendered panels, but the objects represented there were included to provide a flow of blessings, good wishes, energy and good fortune to those using it.

     

  • Antique Shiwan Ceramic Wall Pocket Double Chopsticks Holder, China

    $185.00

    This Shiwan green  chopsticks holder is divided into two parts with holes on top for hanging and small holes on the bottom for drainage.  Chopsticks were often wedding gifts from mothers to daughters with many auspicious wishes: phrases for sons as soon as possible, upside down bats with coins and ribbon meaning “blessings in front of your eyes,” pair of birds symbolizing conjugal fidelity, and border clouds and thunder symbolizing life-giving rain and abundance.

  • Sale!

    Antique Shiwan Stoneware Wall Pocket Chopsticks Holder, China

    $115.00

    This Shiwan chopsticks holder is covered in vivid apple-green glaze with a hole in the top for mounting. Chopsticks are significant accessories in China and often included in a bride’s dowry because the word for chopsticks is a pun for “speedy arrival of sons.” It is filled with many auspicious symbols: the phrase baizi qiansun (“a hundred sons and a thousand grandsons), ” a bat with coins and a ribbon (blessings in front of your eyes”) a pair of birds (conjugal fidelity)  and a border pattern of clouds (abundance).This decorative container can hold utensils, dried flowers, and other objects and is a unique wedding gift.

  • Sale!

    Antique Shiwan Stoneware Wall Pocket Chopsticks Holder, China

    $115.00

    This Shiwan chopsticks holder is covered in vivid apple-green glaze with a hole in the top for mounting. Chopsticks are significant accessories and often included in a Chinese bride’s dowry because the word for chopsticks is a pun for “speedy arrival of sons.” It is filled with many auspicious symbols: the phrase baizi qiansun (“a hundred sons and a thousand grandsons), ” a bat with coins and a ribbon (blessings in front of your eyes”) a pair of birds (conjugal fidelity)  and a border pattern of clouds (abundance).This decorative container can hold utensils, dried flowers, and other objects and is a unique wedding gift.

     

  • Antique Shiwan Stoneware Wall Pocket Chopsticks Holder, China

    $115.00

    This Shiwan chopsticks holder is covered in vivid apple-green glaze with a hole for mounting. Chopsticks are significant accessories and often included in a Chinese bride’s dowry because the word for chopsticks is a pun for “speedy arrival of sons.” It is filled with many auspicious symbols: the phrase baizi qiansun (“a hundred sons and a thousand grandsons),” a bat with coins and a ribbon (blessings in front of your eyes”) a pair of birds (conjugal fidelity) and a border pattern of clouds (abundance). This decorative container can hold utensils, dried flowers, and other objects and is a unique wedding gift.

     

     

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