. (3) Hsing ch’ên, the stars: represented by three stars connected by straight lines. (4) Shan, mountains. (5) Lung, dragons. (6) Hua ch’ung, the “flowery creature,” the pheasant. (7) Tsung yi, the temple vessels: one with a tiger design and the other with a monkey. (8) Tsao, aquatic grass. (9) Huo, fire. (10) Fên mi, grains of rice. (11) Fu, an axe. (12) Fu, a symbol of distinction[516] (see vol. i., p. [227]).
The Eight Happy Omens (pa chi hsiang) were among the signs on the sole of Buddha’s foot. They are usually drawn with flowing fillets attached (Fig. 2), and they are as follows: (1) Lun, the wheel or chakra, sometimes replaced by the bell (chung). (2) Lo, the shell. (3) San, the State umbrella. (4) Kai, the canopy. (5) Hua, the (lotus) flower. (6) P’ing, the vase. (7) Yü, the fish; a pair of them.[517] (8) Ch’ang, the angular knot representing the entrails; an emblem of longevity.[518]
Fig. 2.—The Pa chi hsiang
The Seven Gems (ch’i pao) are: (1) Chin lun, the golden wheel. (2) Yü nü, the jade-like girl. (3) Ma, the horse. (4) Hsiang, the elephant. (5) Chu ts’ang shên, divine guardian of the treasury. (6) Chu ping ch’ên, general in command of the army. (7) Ju i chu the jewels which fulfil every wish; a bundle of jewelled wands bound round with a cord.
The Pa an hsien, Attributes of the Eight Immortals, as detailed above (p. [287]), are: (1) Shan, the fan of Chung-li Ch’üan. (2) Chien, the sword of Lü Tung-pin. (3) Hu lu, the gourd of Li T’ieh-kuai. (4) Pan, the castanets of Ts’ao Kuo-chiu. (5) Hua lan, the basket of flowers of Lan Ts’ai-ho. (6) Yu ku, the bamboo tube and rods of Chang Kuo Lao. (7) Ti, the flute of Han Hsiang Tzŭ. (8) Lien hua, the lotus flower of Ho Hsien Ku.
The Po ku, or Hundred Antiques, is, as its name implies, a comprehensive group including all manner of symbols and symbolical ornaments, which were frequently grouped together in panel decoration. Bushell[519] describes two typical panels on specimens in the Walters collection. One contained the apparatus of the scholar and painter, viz. books on tables, brushes in vases, water pots and scroll pictures, 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 shêng, the open lozenge, symbol of victory.[520] (5) Ch’ing, the musical stone. (6) Shu, a pair of books. (7) Chüeh, a pair of horn-like objects. (8) Ai yeh, the leaf of the artemisia, fragrant plant of good omen and a preventative of disease.
A branch of coral, a silver ingot, a pencil brush and cake of ink are common emblems; 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 as a symbol of wan shou (endless longevity). A lyre wrapped in an embroidered case, a chess-or gô-board with round boxes for the white and black pieces, a pair of books, and a pair of scroll pictures symbolise the “four elegant accomplishments,” ch’in, ch’i, shu, hua (music, chess, writing and painting).
