China
Tang Dynasty, 618 to 907 AD
Jade
Height 2 3/4 in (7 cm)
Provenance: Found at the Royal Horticultural Antique Fair, London, UK
The bat, known in Chinese as fu (蝠), is among the most enduring auspicious symbols in Chinese decorative and ritual art, its name a homophone of fu (福), meaning fortune, blessings, and happiness. Bat pendants in jade were produced across multiple Chinese dynasties as personal ornaments carrying wishes for good fortune, and the form became particularly refined during the Tang period when jade carving reached a high level of technical and symbolic sophistication. The double bat composition visible in this pendant amplifies the auspicious meaning, doubling the symbolic resonance of the motif.
The pendant is carved from green jade with a smooth, worked surface and perforated centers in each of the two bat forms, allowing for suspension as a personal ornament or attachment to garments or accessories. The compact, symmetrical composition and clean carving reflect the disciplined aesthetic of Tang jade production, in which symbolic clarity and formal balance were primary concerns. Its discovery at the Royal Horticultural Antique Fair in London places it within the established British market for Chinese antiquities.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
China
Tang Dynasty, 618 to 907 AD
Jade
Height 2 3/4 in (7 cm)
Provenance: Found at the Royal Horticultural Antique Fair, London, UK
The bat, known in Chinese as fu (蝠), is among the most enduring auspicious symbols in Chinese decorative and ritual art, its name a homophone of fu (福), meaning fortune, blessings, and happiness. Bat pendants in jade were produced across multiple Chinese dynasties as personal ornaments carrying wishes for good fortune, and the form became particularly refined during the Tang period when jade carving reached a high level of technical and symbolic sophistication. The double bat composition visible in this pendant amplifies the auspicious meaning, doubling the symbolic resonance of the motif.
The pendant is carved from green jade with a smooth, worked surface and perforated centers in each of the two bat forms, allowing for suspension as a personal ornament or attachment to garments or accessories. The compact, symmetrical composition and clean carving reflect the disciplined aesthetic of Tang jade production, in which symbolic clarity and formal balance were primary concerns. Its discovery at the Royal Horticultural Antique Fair in London places it within the established British market for Chinese antiquities.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
