Page 475 - Chinese pottery and porcelain : an account of the potter's art in China from primitive times to the present day

Motives of the Decoration 299

all enveloped with waving fillets mingled with tasselled wands and

double diamonds, which are symbols of literary success. The other

contained a tall vase with peonies ; a low vase with peacock
feather, an emblem of high rank ; a lion-shaped
censer on a four-legged stand, the incense smoke

from which rises in form of a pair of storks ; a

set of incense-burning implements, a bundle of

scroll pictures, a ju-i sceptre, a musical stone, a

sword, and a paper weight.

A favourite set of Po-ku emblems is the Pa

pao (Fig. 3) or Eight Precious Objects : (1) Chu,

the pearl, which grants every wish. (2) Ch'ien,
the " cash," a copper coin used to symbolise

wealth. (3) Lozenge, or picture (hua). (4) Fang
sheng, the open lozenge, symbol of victory.^

(5) Ch'ing, the musical stone. (6) Shu, a pair of

books. (7) Chueh, a pair of horn-like objects.
(8) Ai yeh, the leaf of the artemisia, a fragrant

plant of good omen and a preventive of disease.

A branch of coral, a silver ingot, a pencil

brush and cake of ink are other common em-

blems ; and the swastika occurs both by itself

(vol. i., p. 227) or interwoven with the character

shou (vol. i., p. 227), or even as a fret or diaper

pattern. The swastika is a world-wide symbol

in China it is called wan, and used as a synonym

for wan (ten thousand), and as such it is regarded

Aas a symbol of wan shou (endless longevity).

lyre wrapped in an embroidered case, a chess- or

go-board with round boxes for the white and

black pieces, a pair of books, and a pair of scroll
pictures symbolise the " four elegant accomplish-

ments," chHn, dii, shu, hua (music, chess, writing

and painting).

The figurative aspect of Chinese decoration

has been repeatedly noticed, and occasional ex-

—amples of direct play upon words or rebus Fig. 3. The Pa pao

devices have been given incidentally. The Chinese language is

A1 pair of open lozenges interlaced are read as a rebus fung hsin fang shing

(union gives success) ; see Bushell, 0. C. A., p. 120.