✅ SOLVED Script or celtic design?

KSDirtfisher77

Hero Member
Jun 26, 2022
848
1,944
Detector(s) used
Whites DFX, Whites V3I
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Anybody out there that can decipher what this is? Is it lettering or some Celtic design of some sort? Was it part of necklace or pin? Thanks.
20230513_213639.jpg
 

Last edited:
Solution
Prety sure it's a stylized Chinese symbol for wealth.

It's one of the four/five Chinese blessing symbols... generally taken as representing longevity, wealth, good health, love of virtue, and (if the fifth one is included) the desire to have a natural and peaceful death. There are cultural variations in interpretation. Together they're known as 'wufu' and usually depicted encircled by bat figures since the Chinese word for 'bat' has the same pronunciation as the word for 'happiness' or 'good fortune'.

It's surprisingly difficult to find a set of copyright-free images to show here, but I believe it's a ‘shòu’ character for longevity (a long life) rather than a 'lu' character for wealth (prosperity) as depicted here...
I've seen those before, but I can't recall at the moment what they are. I'll poke around in my brain and if it hits me, I'll post again.
 

Upvote 1
I've seen those before, but I can't recall at the moment what they are. I'll poke around in my brain and if it hits me, I'll post again.
Thanks! yeah I swear I've seen it to. But I sure cant think where I seen or read about it.
 

Upvote 1
I've seen that in a Chinatown here in California I think.
 

Upvote 1
I think the one I saw was two door handles on the Chinese restaurant there. So I would look up Chinese symbols.
 

Upvote 2
It’s a Chinese ‘shòu’ longevity symbol. See the third picture at the right of the Wiki entry.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shou_(character)

It might actually be a Chinese amulet/pendant or one of the many items where the iconography has been borrowed in the West.
Thanks Red-Coat, I was looking at symbols lastnite, but there was so many I got discouraged looking. Thanks again. I thought at first I had a chinese trivet but it wasnt that.
 

Upvote 1
Prety sure it's a stylized Chinese symbol for wealth.

It's one of the four/five Chinese blessing symbols... generally taken as representing longevity, wealth, good health, love of virtue, and (if the fifth one is included) the desire to have a natural and peaceful death. There are cultural variations in interpretation. Together they're known as 'wufu' and usually depicted encircled by bat figures since the Chinese word for 'bat' has the same pronunciation as the word for 'happiness' or 'good fortune'.

It's surprisingly difficult to find a set of copyright-free images to show here, but I believe it's a ‘shòu’ character for longevity (a long life) rather than a 'lu' character for wealth (prosperity) as depicted here:

 

Upvote 5
Solution

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Latest Discussions

Back
Top