Page 120 - Chinese pottery and porcelain : an account of the potter's art in China from primitive times to the present day

62 Chinese Pottery and Porcelain

The picture of the Hundred Boys.
Fu, Lu, Shou (Happiness, Rank, and Longevity). It is not
stated whether the characters only are intended, or, as is more
probable, the three Taoist deities who distribute these blessings.

Emblematic Motives and Inscriptions.
The eight Buddhist emblems, bound with fillets {kuan fao).
Ju-i sceptres bound with fillets.
Ju-i cloud borders (ju i yiin pien).
Midsummer holiday symbols {tuan yang chieh). Explained by
Bushell as sprigs of acorns and artemisia hung up on the fifth
day of the fifth moon.
Emblems of Longevity {shou tai), e.g. gourd, peach, fungus, pine,
bamboo, crane, deer.
The " monad symbol " {hun yiian), which is apparently another
name for the yin yang, and the Eight Trigrams. See p. 290.
Lozenge symbols of victory {fang sheng).
" The four lights worshipping the star of Longevity " {ssu yang

p'eng shou).

Spiral {hui M) patterns.
Sanskrit invocations {chen yen iz'u). See Plate 93.
Ancient writings found at Lo-yang {lo shu). Lo-yang (the

modern Ho-nan Fu) was the capital of the Eastern Han (25-220

A.D.).

Inscriptions in antique seal characters {chuan).

Dragons holding up the characters ^cfSc^g yung pao wan
shou (ever insuring endless longevity) ; and 7ic1*^»l^?c yung
pao hung fu ch'i t'ien (ever insuring great happiness equalling

Heaven).

Borders inscribed Uia^U fu ju tung hai (happiness like the

eastern sea); and E1@pS)®3^T:*:^ feng fiao yii shun Vien hsia Vai
p'ing (favouring winds and seasonable rain : great peace throughout

the empire).

A" symbolical head with hair dressed in four puffs " ^ bearing

the characters ni-^Mt^ yung pao ch'^ang ch'un (ever insuring long

spring).

Taoist deities holding the characters Wi'^^^^M^M 'wan ku

ch'ang ch'un ssu hai lai ch'ao (through myriads of ages long spring

^ E3IS0 ss^ ^^ ''ou, a phrase which would more usually refer to the beard than

the hair of the head. The above rendering is Bushell's.