The Secret Communications in Jade

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An especially charming facet of jade renderings is the hidden meaning in the designs. Jade carvings tend to be symbolic puns on spoken Chinese. Bats, for instance, are a symbol of happiness or delights since the spoken syllable for bat (fu) seems exactly like that of advantage. Bats are often found upside down since the Chinese word dao (upside down) is just a pun on the word "arrived," therefore an upside down bat implies that pleasure has arrived. The swastika is a visual pun on the phrase wan meaning "ten thousand," making the whole object a invocation of 10,000 blessings. The three legged toad represents prosperity; the peach, longevity; and geese, marital satisfaction. The variety of symbols is seemingly limitless, and trying to decipher the secret communications in previous carvings is another part that makes jade collecting an addictive pastime.The cryptic message in jade is known as a rebus, a question composed of words with syllables portrayed by symbols or pictures that suggest the noise of the words or syllables they represent. For instance, a standard rebus for benefits may be the foshou or Buddha's hand citron, a fresh fruit which resembles Buddha's palms. If the Buddha's hand citron is with the peach and pomegranate, it forms the concept of "the three plenties" - a desire for variety of benefits, durability and offspring.In China, xi or happiness, was usually represented by the magpie whose title (xi) is just a pun for happiness. A magpie perched on the top of prunus part (mei), which stands for eyebrows, presents a rebus for "happiness around one's eyebrows." Two magpies develop into a symbol for double happiness.The flower that symbolizes union may be the lotus (hehua or lianhua). He is a for harmony while lian is a pun for continuous, therefore, a hope for continuous harmony. The lotus is one of many several flowers whose seedpod is already present when the blossom begins to bloom. To the Chinese, this excellent omen prophesied the early appearance of kids. Other symbols of marriage are the double fish, a of fertility and conjugal bliss; fish and water (a for "may you acknowledge like fish and water"), and a pair of mandarin ducks, symbols of fidelity and a happy marriage. The crab (a for xie) retaining a stalk of wheat is still another rebus for harmony.The dragon and phoenix were formerly reserved as noble symbols of union, however they quickly came into widespread use. Yet another symbol of connubial happiness is represented by two badgers, a for "double happiness." Representations for children include vines and gourds, or melons with butterflies.In old China rank was strongly connected with prosperity, for once a man became the state he was established for life. For that reason, it absolutely was the fervent wish of parents that their kids become the civil service exams to be passed by scholars with flying colors. The bloom that symbolizes this wish may be the tree peony-the most popular Chinese botanical pattern. As a result of this connection the peony became the bloom of rank and money known. Peonies in many cases are along with magnolia and crab apple blossoms to form the auspicious expression yutang fugui or "wealth and list in the jade area or wealthy establishment". (Jade Hall was also a classy name for the Hanlin Academy, the official agency in China comprised of the greatest literary degrees. )The hope for a good amount of riches is noticeable among numerous rebuses linked with wealth. Cash (coins with a rectangular hole in the center) or silver and gold ingots were the symbols of prosperity in China. The interlocking cash design was a popular one. A goldfish wrapped in a lotus leaf implies hebao jinyiu or "an abundance of gold in one's purse." A college of fish swimming in a pond (tang) is a pun hinting a want one's family to be full of gold and jade. Abundance contributes to prosperity. Three rams (sanyang) meant wealth in the spring, a complicated rebus that has been a really auspicious symbol of the brand new year. There have been a of gods of wealth in China including a seated official holding a silver ingot; a child dancing on an ingot or carrying one; or Liu Hai who teases his toad with a string of cash.Shouying, the God of Longevity, is a benevolent old gentleman with an outstanding skull holding a staff and the peach of immortality. The apple is of vital importance in Chinese culture and one of many most popular motifs. Butterflies and cats will also be symbols of endurance. Cranes, historically associated with maple trees, are both motifs for longevity. When proven together they suggest a desire the bride and groom to reside to a old age.The Chinese believed in combating poison with poison and created the concept of wudu or the "five poisons" represented by the viper, the spider, the toad, the centipede and the scorpion. The amount of toxin produced by these animals was thought to combat any pernicious effect. A tiger was also looked at as a against evil influences.Animals played an important role in Chinese meaning. The water buffalo was the main animal in Chinese agriculture. The pig showed the primary supply of meat in the Chinese diet, and bears were a favorite animal to use as supports to show the ability to carry great weight. With the introduction of Buddhism in to China came the use of various creatures native to India, where Buddhism began. Lions (often called foo pets) guarded temples and tombs, the elephant symbolized Buddhist teachers and was generally carved in jade, as were the features of the Eight Immortals, symbolized by the fan, the dual gourd, the iron crutch, bamboo fish drum, the lotus, flower container, blade and fly whisk, castanets and the flute.The old tomb jades, which were buried with the dead to stop decomposition of the corpse, included the cicada or locust, dragons, hydras, kylin and fish pictures. The cicada was particularly symbolic because the larva of this insect uses the very first four years of its existence underground and emerges as a whole insect, symbolizing resurrection and immortality. Perhaps abstract styles were used to reflect clouds, grain cereals, silkworms and bamboo, all significant top features of Chinese culture.The symbolism found in jade designs can become quite complex in its objective, but the next time you encounter a vintage jade digging set aside a second to consider the key communication it has.