Qing dynasty blown glaze basin with Wan character pattern, featuring traditional Chinese decorative motifs for cultural and artistic appreciation.
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Five Blessings Holding Longevity: The Ancient Wishes Hidden in Chinese Traditional Patterns

Byyezi

What Are the “Five Blessings Holding Longevity”? Discover Ancient Chinese Traditional Patterns

Introduction: The Legacy of Traditional Ornament Patterns

Traditional ornament patterns reflect a nation’s artistic identity and cultural values. From simple prehistoric markings to bold bronze motifs and elaborate feudal-era designs, including the Five Blessings Holding Longevity motif, each pattern showcases the craftsmanship and aesthetic of its time.

Five Blessings Holding Longevity pattern, a traditional Chinese auspicious motif symbolizing happiness, prosperity, and long life

At PeonyJewels, we draw inspiration from these traditional motifs when designing handcrafted vintage earrings and other jewelry. In this article, we focus on classic Chinese auspicious patterns, including the Phoenix Pattern, Swastika Pattern, Five Blessings Holding Longevity, and Vase with Three Halberds, exploring their meanings and cultural significance.

Phoenix Pattern: A Symbol of Auspiciousness

The phoenix, or Feng Pattern, is one of China’s oldest auspicious motifs. It originates from the mythological Xuan bird on ancient pottery and evolved into the elegant phoenix designs seen on Western Zhou bronzes.

An image of a Ming Dynasty hollow-carved gold pendant. The round pendant features an intricate design of two phoenixes flying together. The delicate filigree work and the rich color of the gold are representative of noble accessories from the Ming era.
An image of a Han Dynasty jade bi disc with "out-of-the-rim" carving. The white jade features intricate carvings of dragons and phoenixes, extending beyond the main body of the disc. The jade is lustrous, and the craftsmanship is superb, reflecting the classic style of Han-era jade artifacts.

The phoenix symbolizes happiness, marital harmony, and high status. In traditional Chinese decorative art, this pattern embodies both cultural identity and timeless beauty.

Chinese phoenix pattern, one of the oldest traditional auspicious motifs symbolizing happiness and harmony

Swastika Pattern: Symbol of Auspiciousness and Longevity

In Sanskrit, the “卍” character signifies “the gathering place of good fortune”. In Buddhist tradition, people consider it a sacred mark that appeared on the chest of Shakyamuni Buddha, symbolizing auspiciousness, infinite blessings, and longevity. Historically, people also referred to this emblem as the “Auspicious Sea Cloud Symbol.”

A close-up image of a swastika (Wan character) pattern on a Qing Dynasty empress's robe. The dense, repeating motif, often rendered in gold thread, symbolizes a wish for endless blessings and longevity. This pattern was a common border or background on Qing imperial court clothing.

During the reign of Empress Wu Zetian, scholars formally adopted the character into Chinese script and pronounced it as “Wan.”When extended from its four ends, the swastika evolved into various linked brocade patterns, often used to represent continuous blessings and unending longevity. This particular design is also known as the “Ten-Thousand Longevity Brocade”.

Tip: The Nazi swastika, used in 20th-century Germany, combines two “S” letters into an “X” shape within a diamond and rotates clockwise at 45°, which is opposite to the traditional Chinese counterclockwise “卍”, both in direction and cultural meaning.

An image of a Chinese clothes rack decorated with the swastika (Wan character) pattern. The rack is made of wood, and the intricate carvings or openwork details feature the repeating motif, symbolizing good fortune and eternity. It serves as an example of the pattern's use in daily household items.
An image of a Qing Dynasty porcelain water-pot decorated with a swastika (Wan character) pattern. The piece features a smooth, evenly applied spray glaze, with the continuous swastika pattern creating a rich, symbolic texture. This exemplifies the sophisticated glaze and decorative techniques of the Qing era.
An image of a late Qing to early Republic-era cloisonné enamel box. The box's surface is decorated with a continuous swastika pattern, outlined with fine metal wires and filled with colorful enamel. The vibrant colors and delicate craftsmanship are characteristic of cloisonné from this period.
An image of a Qing Dynasty garment. The clothing features a background of interlocking swastika and curved water patterns. The main design is a "Five Blessings Holding Longevity" motif, with five bats surrounding a central character for longevity. The intricate patterns symbolize continuous good fortune and everlasting blessings.

Five Blessings Holding Longevity: A Popular Chinese Auspicious Pattern

The Five Blessings Holding Longevity is a widely recognized traditional auspicious pattern in Chinese folk art. It typically features five bats circling the character for longevity (寿) or a peach, symbolizing abundant blessings and long life. In Chinese, the word for “bat” (蝠, fu) sounds the same as “blessing” (福, fu), so the five bats represent the Five Blessings. When arranged around the longevity character, the pattern is traditionally called “Five Blessings Holding Longevity”.

Antique Republic of China carved pendant featuring the Five Blessings Holding Longevity motif with intricate openwork design
Qing dynasty table cover embroidered in gold and blue featuring the Five Blessings Holding Longevity motif symbolizing prosperity and long life

The culture of blessing and longevity lies at the heart of Chinese humanistic values. People use this motif in various occasions, including Chinese New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival, weddings, and birth celebrations, to convey wishes of prosperity, good fortune, and long life.

Antique Qing dynasty Qianlong cloisonné plate decorated with vibrant Five Blessings Holding Longevity design in enamel artistry

Tip: What exactly are the Five Blessings? According to Shangshu·Hongfan:

  1. Longevity (寿)
  2. Wealth (富)
  3. Health and Peace (康宁)
  4. Virtue (好德)
  5. A Natural and Peaceful Death (考终命)

The Five Blessings pattern implies that only by achieving wealth, health, virtue, and a peaceful life can one ultimately attain longevity. In other words, longevity is the core, the highest form of blessing, and the ultimate embodiment of all five blessings.

Vase with Three Halberds: A Symbol of Career Advancement

The Vase with Three Halberds is a common motif in the Qing dynasty. Typically, the pattern shows a vase holding three short halberds, which is a visual pun on the phrase “ping sheng san ji” (瓶升三戟).

An image of a Chinese vase with a three-halberd motif. The vase is decorated with three halberds, symbolizing a wish for a rapid promotion in rank, as the pronunciation of the items is a homophone for "peacefully rising three ranks.

In ancient China, officials were ranked in nine grades, and a promotion by three ranks indicated smooth career advancement. During the Tang dynasty, officials of the third rank or higher were entitled to place halberds in front of their gates, signaling their status. As the Qing poet Wu Weiye wrote in Shou Shen Shao Si Nong Qing Men Liu Shi:

“The three halberds at the gate surpass the Tonghou; brothers in attire and rank all enjoy noble prestige.”

An image of a hollow-carved wooden door decoration featuring a vase with three halberds. The intricate carving, which is a common motif in traditional Chinese architecture, symbolizes a wish for a peaceful promotion in official rank.
Antique Hetian jade chest ornament from late Qing and early Republic period featuring the Vase with Three Halberds design for rising success

Over time, the three halberds came to represent households of high-ranking officials, symbolizing honor and career success.

Another variation of this motif features a vase alongside a reed instrument (sheng). This design uses homophones in Chinese: vase (瓶) = ping = rank, reed (笙) = sheng = promotion, halberd (戟) = ji = grade. Together, the imagery conveys wishes for steady promotion and official success.

An image of a silver-gilt incense sachet from the Republic of China era. The hollowed-out sachet features the "vase with three halberds" motif, symbolizing a wish for a rapid promotion in rank. The top of the sachet is decorated with the five-colored flag of the Republic, making it a unique artifact from that period.
An image of a large Qing Dynasty ceramic jar used for "Qing Shi" (elegant display). These jars were often part of a scholar's studio decor, holding seasonal flowers or stones to create an elegant and refined atmosphere in the mid-Qing period

Draw Inspiration from Tradition

We are lucky to inherit rich cultural patterns. Ancient motifs offer endless inspiration for jewelry, decor, and art, helping designers create pieces with meaning and style.

Explore PeonyJewels’ Handcrafted Jewelry

At PeonyJewels, we turn these traditional motifs into handmade vintage earrings and unique jewelry. Explore our collections today and bring culture and beauty into your everyday life. Shop now for meaningful, stylish pieces.

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