Square Cauldron with Bats and Peaches Patterns Front View

With a shape that was popular in the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD), this four-foot square cauldron exudes a sense of stability, solemnity and decorum. Regarding the embellishment, it applied the classic motif of “five bats supporting longevity” of the Qing dynasty (1644-1912 AD) in combination with the continuous 卍 patterns at the bottom. All these ornamental patterns were first chased dot by dot or line by line on the black copper base and then inlayed with silver, creating a visually appealing contrast between black and white.
Bats have been an auspicious decorative pattern for centuries in the Chinese culture as the Chinese pronunciation of bats coincides with that of luck or fortune. The five bats on the cauldron represents five lucks in China, namely, longevity, fortune, wellbeing, wishes coming true and a happy twilight life. The fixed pattern group of five bats around the Chinese character of longevity, or peaches as the symbol of longevity, has been endowed with the wishes for endless fortunes and longevity. With this ingeniously-crafted artwork based on the rich and in-depth Chinese culture, the artisan would like to extend his wishes for happiness and longevity to all the people in the world.