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List of Chinese symbols, designs, and art motifs

A list of Chinese symbols, designs, and art motifs, including decorative ornaments, patterns, auspicious symbols, and iconography elements, used in Chinese visual arts, sorted in different theme categories. Chinese symbols and motifs are more than decorative designs as they also hold symbolic but hidden meanings which have been used and understood by the Chinese people for thousand of years; they often influenced by nature, which include the fauna, the flora, landscape, and clouds.[1][2] Chinese symbols often have auspicious meanings associated to them, such as good fortune, happiness, and also represent what would be considered as human virtues, such as filial piety, loyalty, and wisdom,[1] and can even convey the desires or wishes of the Chinese people to experience the good things in life.[2] There are also special symbols in Chinese arts, such as the qilin, and the Chinese dragon.[1] According to Chinese beliefs, being surrounding by objects which are decorated with such auspicious symbols and motifs was and continues to be believed to increase the likelihood that those wishes would be fulfilled even in present-day.[2] Chinese symbols and motifs are often found in Chinese decorative arts, porcelain ware, clothing, and personal adornments.[2]

Categorized sets or collections

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Natural landscape and cosmology

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Clouds, sun, stars, and moon

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Type Name Images
Clouds Xiangyun / auspicious clouds    
Cosmic symbol Yunjian (云肩)/ cloud collar motif Persimon calyx    

Waves and sea

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Types Name Images
Composite Haishuijiangya (海水江崖)
Waves Lang  

Animals

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Mammals

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Name Symbolism Images
Bats Bat (fu) Homophone for good fortune and symbol for longevity and happiness.[3]  
Bats flying amongst clouds  
Bats with Chinese character "wan"(Swastika) "Ten thousand-fold wishes for good fortune and happiness.”[3]
Five bats (wufu) Wishes for the Five Blessings.[3]    
Red bats (hongfu) Wide spread of good fortune[3]  
Deer Lü[4]  
Elephant Xiang
Horses A horse Speed and perseverance[5]: 37 
Eight horses The 8 horses of King Mu of Zhou[5]: 37 
Tiger

Birds

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Birds were symbols of literary refinement of the scholars with ability to fly towards the Heaven.[6]

Name Images
Crane A red-crowned crane[4]
Magpie
Mandarin duck A mandarin duck
Pairs of mandarin duck

Fish

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Main article: Fish in Chinese mythology
Types Name Symbolism Images
Fish Single fish Yu (鱼, lit. "fish") Wealth and abundance    
Carp jumping at the Dragon Gate Success in the civil service examinations[7]: 63   
Double fish Shuangyuwen (双鱼纹)/

Double fish[8]/ twin fish:[9] two horizontal fishes, each facing an opposite direction

Marital happiness;[8] fertility and abundance[9]    
Pairs of golden fish/ Golden fish (as part of the Eight Auspicious pattern):[8] two fishes in the vertical planes, with their faces inward.[3][10][11]: 84 [note 1] Good fortune;[11]: 83  happiness;[10] freedom from restraint[3]  

Insects

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Name Description Symbolism Images
Butterflies Butterfly/ butterflies A common motif used in Chinese embroidery and in Chinaware.[12] The butterfly is a symbol of joy and summer.[12] It also implies long life, beauty and elegance.[6]  
Pair of butterflies Pair of butterflies embroidered on clothing strengthens the energy of love.[6] Love, especially young love; undying bond between lovers.[6]
Cicada Cicada motifs were used as early as the Shang and Zhou dynasties to decorate bronze; both realistic and stylized cicada motif were used during these periods.[13]: 89  Cicada motifs were also used in 17th and 18th when decorating bronze and cloisonne objects which imitating ancient bronzes.[13]: 89  Jade carved in the shaped of a cicada used to be placed in the mouth the deceased before being buried.[12] It was believed that cicada jade would prevent the decaying of a corpse or speed up the deceased's rebirth.[13]: 89  Symbol of immortality and resurrection (or regeneration[13]: 89 ); it is also a symbol of happiness and eternal youth as cicada's longevity is longer than other insects.[12]
 
Cicada jade used in burial practice, Han dynasty

Imaginary animals

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Chimeral animals

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Type Name Symbolism Images
Chinese dragons[note 2] C-shaped dragon/ Ring-like dragon Hong (rainbow-dragon)  
Hongshan Jade dragon  
Panlong[4]  
Shuanglong[14]  
Zhulong (Pig dragon)
Curly and coiled dragon Azure dragon
Kuilong (夔龙)[4]  
Panchi[4]
Zisunlong (子孙龙)
Long dragon or mang dragon: 3-clawed dragons/ 4-clawed dragons, also called mang (蟒, lit. "python")/ 5-clawed dragons Zhenglong (正龙)/ sitting dragon  
Lilong (立龙)/ standing dragon  
Shenglong (升龙) / ascending dragon      
Jianglong (降龙)/ descending dragon    
Xinglong (行龙)/ travelling dragon  
Dragon playing with pearl  
Two dragon playing with flaming pearl/ pearl    
 
Other 4-clawed dragons Douniu
Feiyu
Phoenix-like Feng/huang Single male (feng) or female phoenix (huang)[3] Symbol of the empress of China.[3]  
Fenghuang Pair of phoenix (one male and one female)[3] Marital happiness[3]
Qilin Male Qilin Virtue and perfection[3]
Female Qilin  

Bird-like creatures

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Types Name Symbolism Image
Bird Qingniao[15]
Crow-like creatures Jinwu (lit."golden crow")/ Yangwu Erzuwu (二足金, lit."two-legged crow")/ Erzujinnian (二足金乌, lit "two-legged golden crow" Sun  
Sanzuwu (三足烏, lit. "Three-legged crow ")[note 3]  
 
Sanzuwu (三足烏, lit. "Three-legged crow ")  
Pheasant-like creatures Vermillion bird

Animal-like creatures

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Types Name Symbolism Images
Fox-like creatures Hulijing (狐狸精)/ Fox spirit Nine-tail fox    
Goat (or sheep)-like creature Taotie  
Xiezhi Fairness, justice, and discrimination between the right and wrong.[16]
Horse-like creatures Haima[4]
Lion-like creatures Suan ni[4]
Rabbit-like creature Yu tu (玉兔, lit. 'Jade rabbit') / Yue tu (月兔, lit. 'Moon rabbit') Jade rabbit in the moon disk
Jade rabbit pounding medicine/ elixir of life  
Rabbits running amongst clouds Moon.[17]  
Tiger-like creature White tiger
Toad-like (or frog-like) creature Moon toad toad on a moon crescent  
Dancing frog[15]  
Three-legged toad Jin Chan (Golden toad)  
Jin Chan (Golden toad) biting a coin/ Money toad[18]
Tortoise-like creature Black tortoise Xuanwu (玄武; also one of the Four Symbols)  

Composite

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Images Name
Chinese dragon and fenghuang  
Dragon turtle Dragon turtle with carrying a small turtle on its back
Five poisons  
Moon rabbit and moon toad  

Plants, flowers, and trees

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Flowers

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Name Symbol Images
Apricot Apricot blossom[19]
Balsamine flower[19]
Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemum flower Symbol of autumn and longevity[3]
Hibiscus
Lotus Lotus flower[19]
Narcissus
Osmanthus Osmanthus blossom[19]
Peach Peach blossom[19] Spring and happiness.[3]  
Peony[19] Peony flower Associated with royalty.[3] It is also called “flower of rank and honour"; honours means attaining high rank, an official position or high social status.[3]  
Plum Plum flowers Symbol of winter.[3]
Pomegranate Pomegranate flower[19]
Winter sweet

Trees and plants

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Name Images
Bamboo  
Willow tree

Composite

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Name Description Symbol Images
Four gentlemen (si junzi) Orchids, chrysanthemum, plum blossoms, and bamboo Integrity and humility of the scholar.[3]
Three friends of winter Plum blossoms, bamboo, and pine Longevity and resistance to the elements.[3]

Fruits, vegetables, kernels, mushroom, and seeds

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Fruits

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Name Symbolism Images
Gourd Single gourd Fertility[3]
Double gourd Associated with deities and immortals[3]
Peaches Peach fruit Associated with the god Shoulao (god of longevity); symbol of a long life.[3]  
Peaches of immortality Peach of immortality  
Peach and Chinese character shou  
Pomegranates Pomegranate fruit Whole pomegranate fruit  

Mushroom

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Name Symbol Images
Lingzhi Immortality and shares the meaning of ruyi (如意), "as you wish".[3]  

Inanimate objects

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Name Symbolism Images
Coins Chinese numismatic charm
Gems/ Precious stone Baozhu Flaming pearl  
Triratna/ triple gem  
Hand-held fan Open hand-held fan  
Ingot Gold ingot  
Silver ingot
Knots Endless knots Infinite wisdom of Buddha[11]: 84 [note 4]  

Chinese characters

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Name Symbolism Images
Cai (wealth) Stylized character Wealth  
Fo (佛) Chinese character Buddha  
Fu (福) Chinese character Upright prosperity/ good luck    
Upside down  
Stylized symbol prosperity/ good luck  
Lu (禄) Chinese character  
Stylized symbol  
Shou Chinese character longevity  
Stylized symbol  
Shou with wan    
Wan Chinese character Ten thousand years  
 
Xi (double happiness) Chinese character wedding bliss    
Stylized symbol  
Xi (happiness) Chinese character

Composite

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Fushoushang (福壽双) Chinese character  

Taoist religion

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Taoist deities and immortals

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Important Immortal deity painting depicting Xi Wangmu, the Queen Mother of the West, d. Ming dynasty.

In present day China, the Sanxing and other Chinese folk deities continue to be perceived as powerful carrier of good fortune.[2] The Queen Mother of the West, Xi Wangmu, who is often figured in Chinese stories, is associated with symbols of longevity in Chinese arts as the peaches of immortality are believed to grow in her celestial peach orchard according to folklore stories.[20]

Taoist symbols

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Name Images
Bagua  
 
 
   
Hetu  
Luoshu  
Taiji    
Taijitu  
Trigram figure lí (離)  
Wuji  
Yin and Yang    

Buddhism religion

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Buddhist entities

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Types Name Images
Spirits Female Feitian (Apsara)

Borders/ meander, and repeated patterns

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Types Name Images
Chinese characters Border Gong (工; work) and bats  
Decorative Floral and twines Grass pattern Tang caowen[4]
Twined branches Chanzhiwen[4]
Curves Pommel pattern Guri (屈輪) /

Pommel scroll[21]

 
Geometric Diagonal Diagonal straight lines Lishui  
Diagonal wavy lines  
Semicricles Horizontal semi-circles Woshui
Curvilinear Swirl[4]  
Wavy Wavy Boqu[4]
Others Yunleiwen ( 云雷纹)/ Cloud-and-thunder pattern (meander) Yunleiwen
Yunwen (云纹) / Cloud patterns (meander) Yunwen
Leiwen (雷纹)/ Thunder patterns (meander) Leiwen[4]
Composite Floral and coin pattern  
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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ When part of the Eight Auspicious pattern, both two fishes can either be upright (going upward) or be upside down (going downward).
  2. ^ Depending on the time period, the Chinese dragons were depicted with 3, 4, or 5 claws. Since the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was established that the Chinese dragons (Long 龙) required 5-claws to meet their established definition of a Long (龙). Chinese dragons with less than 5 claws were no more considered as 'real' long (龙) dragons; e.g. the 4-clawed dragon then became known as mang (蟒, lit. "python").
  3. ^ The crow in the sun disk is referred as sanzuwu when it is depicted with having three-legged
  4. ^ When part of the Eight Auspicious pattern.

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Chinese Symbols – USC Pacific Asia Museum". pacificasiamuseum.usc.edu. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Hidden Meanings: Symbolism in Chinese Art from the collections of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture | SFO Museum". www.sfomuseum.org. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v "Symbols – USC Pacific Asia Museum". pacificasiamuseum.usc.edu. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Chinese Patterns - Origin, History, Meaning, and Utilization | ChinaFetching". ChinaFetching.com. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
  5. ^ a b Buckhardt (2013). Chinese Creeds And Customs. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis. ISBN 978-1-136-22007-4. OCLC 862609536.
  6. ^ a b c d "Birds, Bats and Butterflies of Chinese Textiles | US-China Institute". china.usc.edu. Retrieved 2022-05-28.
  7. ^ Eberhard, Wolfram (1986). A dictionary of Chinese symbols : hidden symbols in Chinese life and thought. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. ISBN 0-7102-0191-5. OCLC 11970928.
  8. ^ a b c "Pearls of Wisdom: The Arts of Islam at the University of Michigan | Bowl with Double Fish Motif". exhibitions.kelsey.lsa.umich.edu. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  9. ^ a b "Dish with twin fish motif". www.roots.gov.sg. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  10. ^ a b "The Golden Fishes - Tibetan Buddhist Encyclopedia". tibetanbuddhistencyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  11. ^ a b c Keown, Damien (2003). A dictionary of Buddhism. [New York]: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-172653-8. OCLC 52362166.
  12. ^ a b c d Williams, Charles (2006). Chinese symbolism and art motifs : a comprehensive handbook on symbolism in Chinese art through the ages. New York: Tuttle Pub. ISBN 978-1-4629-0314-6. OCLC 782879753.
  13. ^ a b c d Perkins, Dorothy (2013). Encyclopedia of China : History and Culture. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis. ISBN 978-1-135-93562-7. OCLC 869091722.
  14. ^ Laufer, Berthold (1912-11-01). "Fish Symbols in China (Illustrated)". The Open Court. 1912 (11).
  15. ^ a b Theobald, Ulrich. "Xiwangmu 西王母, the Queen Mother of the West (www.chinaknowledge.de)". www.chinaknowledge.de. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  16. ^ Yang, Shuran; Yue, Li; Wang, Xiaogang (2021-08-01). "Study on the structure and virtual model of "xiezhi" gown in Ming dynasty". Journal of Physics: Conference Series. 1986 (1): 012116. Bibcode:2021JPhCS1986a2116Y. doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1986/1/012116. ISSN 1742-6588. S2CID 236985886.
  17. ^ "Panel with Rabbits amid Clouds late 16th–early 17th century". www.metmuseum.org. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
  18. ^ Yang, Shanshan (2016-01-01). "Frogs and toads in Chinese myths, legends, and folklore". Chinese America: History and Perspectives: 77–83.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g "Chinese Flowers of Months and Cultural Meanings | ChinaFetching". ChinaFetching.com. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
  20. ^ Denney, Joyce (2010). "Longevity in Chinese Art". www.metmuseum.org. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  21. ^ "Tray with pommel scrolls 14th century". www.metmuseum.org. Retrieved 2022-05-25.

Bibliography

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