Ancient Chinese Jade Bat Happiness in Heaven Amulet w/Characters & Translation!

Description

ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
Artifacts, Antiques & Fine Collect
i
bles
Ancient Neolithic Chinese Jade Double-Bat Amulet
Immortality Heaven (
Ti'en
) & Happiness Amulet
Engraved Pictographic Characters
c.  Hongshan Culture
4500 BC--2250 BC
Original & Authentic
with
English Translation of Chinese Symbolism of Double Bats
“Happiness in Heaven Has Arrived”
~English Translation Provided by ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
SUMMARY
This Neolithic Chinese Double Bat Pendant/Amulet is made of pure, Nephrite Jade.
It weighs about 1.9 oz. (55 gr.) and is about 1.58" (40 mm) tall x 2.76" (70 mm) wide x .44" (11.3 mm) thick.
Chinese experts estimate that it was made during the Hongshan Culture of ancient China about 4,000 years ago!
I Guarantee it to be authentic and original!
This ancient jade pendant is shaped like a bat (in Chinese “
fu
”) and represents a homonym (a word that shares the same pronunciation and sounds like) for another word in Chinese “
fu
” that means “
good fortune or happiness
.”
This Happiness Pendant also has several ancient pictographic characters etched into the jade!
Although obscured by pitting and differential weathering, one can still see such characters as those for: ancestors, spirits, death, man, beasts, etc.
It was clearly a burial or tomb gift from the descendants of the deceased to the powerful spirits and ancestors that would grant him eternal life in Heaven (
Ti’en
).
What is amazing about this RARE pendant is that it has two suspension holes—one at the top and one at the bottom of the pendant.
Therefore, it appears that this pendant was also made to be worn upside down.
But why?
Let’s look at the meaning of an inverted bat in the ancient Chinese culture.
English Translation of Symbolic Double Bat Amulet
In Chinese, a bat is pronounced “
fu
” and represents “happiness” while a bat that is flying upside down is pronounced “
dao
.”
And that same word
dao
in Chinese is pronounced the same and can also mean “
to have arrived
.”
So, if a person in China were to say “
dao
” he could mean “
a bat is flying upside down
” and a listener could also hear it as “
Happiness has Arrived!”
Taken literally then, this ancient jade pendant could be translated as follows:
“Happiness in Heaven Has Arrived”
This ceremonial jade pendant would have been offered by the descendants of an honorable person who had died as an offering to the gods and ancestors.
It was likely one of many jade and bronze artifacts that served as a symbol or testament to the integrity of the deceased.
Such ceremonial or tomb gifts were thought to provide the departed with a safe journey to Heaven past the Evil Spirits that were thought to inhabit both earthly and celestial boundaries.
Some historians estimate that since about 8,000 years ago, the earliest civilizations in Northern China believed that birds were “
Messengers from Heaven
” that was sent by the Gods to fetch departed souls that were destined for immortality. Chinese mythological and religious beliefs thought that a person’s soul, once freed from its Earthly body, traveled to Heaven in the form of a Heaven Bird. The bats, who only appeared only at night, would have made it appear to the ancient Chinese that the bats returned to Earth at night to carry the souls of the departed to the Heavens and then stay there until nightfall the next day.
Details & Condition:
This ancient Chinese Bat amulet/pendant is made of Nephrite jade and has a wonderful, authentic patina that is a rich, dark-gray in color with some orange highlights from the iron in the soil that is was in contact with for 4,500 years.
It also shows moderate pitting from differential weathering and has white calcification from the salts & minerals that have leached into the cut jade holes—all clear indicators of an authentic and original piece.
Under magnification and close examination as well as comparison to other known authentic examples, this jade Bat amulet appears authentic and original with no repairs or restorations.
The jade pendant has two holes that have been drilled by ancient hand tools from both sides of the amulet--see macro photos.
These are period correct and have a wonderful layer of calcium and micro-crystalline jade inside the bore holes--just perfect.
I have examined this piece under 10x and 80x magnification and it shows no signs of modern tool marks—only hand tools were used to make this amulet.
It has been cut, carved, shaped, and drilled with ancient hand tools.
I also examined it under Black Light and found no signs of repairs or modern carving.
Modern drills would have drilled the hole straight and true--and not larger on the outer edge of the hole or curved.
Thus, these ancient, drilled holes are another sign that this amulet is original and authentic.
Please look closely at the detailed carving on this wonderful Jade Bat.
As many of you know, Nephrite jade, also known as “soft jade” or “ancient Jade” in China, was used from China’s early Neolithic cultures in 8,000 BC to 1800 AD for carving all types of ritual and utilitarian items. Nephrite, which is somewhat “softer” than the jadeite used by Neolithic Japanese and European cultures, was easier to cut, carve, polish, and drill than jadeite. So, the ancient Chinese found that Nephrite Jade could be worked by using quartz or garnet sand, polished with bamboo or jade dust, and even drilled with wood drills that used jade dust as the abrasive.
The type of hole is classified as a "uniform bore hole" by the experts and is period correct in every way.
The type of hole that was drilled by ancient tools match those holes found in known Hongshan culture artifacts found in the finest museums in the world.
The holes provide the conclusive evidence for experts to date this lovely piece to the Hongshan Culture. {Ref: "
JADE
" by Roger Keverne, pg. 57. This is an excellent reference book and can be purchased on eBay.}
In ancient China, this ritual pendant would have been worn or placed in the tomb or temple of the departed by his family to protect him or her from evil spirits in this life and in the afterlife. It would also show the spirits that he/she was a wealthy and honorable person.
Jade was highly prized by these early civilizations in China and it was thought to have positive energy to drive away evil spirits and bring good luck and fortune to all who wore a piece on their person—in life and in death.
The cut surfaces around the wings and body, and inside the drilled holes and grooves, shows growth of micro-crystalline jade (which looks like a white dust in the grooves of the jade). Jade experts look for these tiny white crystals of jade that form of worked jade that is thousands of years old and that has been exposed to moisture. As this Jade Bat amulet has been in the damp earth for about 4,500--5,000 years, the micro-crystalline jade on the surface proves the ancient heritage of this incredible amulet.
In addition, this amulet displays moderate weathering on all sides of the amulet, which also points to millennia of exposure to the elements. By the way, one should never remove or polish away this fine micro-crystalline jade as it is quite delicate and impossible to recreate. It is the 100% proof that this jade amulet was made thousands of years ago. It is truly museum quality!
This Bat Amulet is period correct in every way and matches the examples on display at the MET and at the Smithsonian’s Freer & Sackler Gallery website and at other museums in London and Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.
Each of the holes is round and was drilled by hand from each side with a slow-speed drill.
The holes are period correct and show the growth of tiny micro-crystals of jade inside the bore holes and on the all the surfaces of the amulet.
This chemical reaction can only happen after a piece of carved jade has been buried for thousands of years in damp soil.
These tiny crystals almost look like white powder and should never be cleaned off or removed as they attest to the authenticity of the piece.
{REF: "
JADE
" by Roger Keverne, pg. 57. This is an excellent reference book that can be found on eBay.}
In ancient China, this amulet would have been placed in the temple of the departed by his family (usually his son) to protect him or her from evil spirits on his journey to the afterlife and to allow him/her to enter Heaven.
It would also show the ancestors and spirits that he was a wealthy and honorable person whose “perfect work” would allow him immortality in Heaven.
In ancient China, this jade amulet was an offering to the gods and ancestors in Heaven, and it was thought to be able to carry safely the spirit of the deceased to Heaven (
Ti’en
” in Chinese) and immortality.
Jade was thought to represent Heaven and was considered more precious than gold in ancient China.
The nephrite jade amulet has a dark-brown/green color that is accented with black highlights and beautiful russet markings from the natural iron particles embedded in the solid jade.
The entire amulet is in museum quality condition.
It shows heavy pitting and differential weathering with a wonderful patina that only occurs on worked jade objects buried for thousands of years in the damp soil of China.
The surface of the Jade Heaven & Immortality Amulet shows growth of micro-crystalline jade (which looks like a white dust in the grooves of the jade).
Jade experts look for these tiny white crystals of jade that form of worked jade that is thousands of years old and that has been exposed to moisture. As this Jade Amulet has been in the damp earth for about over 4,000 years, the micro-crystalline jade on the surface proves the ancient heritage of this incredible amulet. This chemical reaction can only happen after a piece of carved jade has been buried for thousands of years in damp soil.
These tiny crystals almost look like white powder and should never be cleaned off or removed as they attest to the authenticity of the piece.
In addition, the weathering, calcification, and deep pitting on all sides of the amulet also points to millennia of exposure to the elements.
English Translation of Inscription/Dedication
And in photos, if you look very carefully, you can see very tiny ancient Chinese characters that are only about 2-3 mm tall that have been carved into both sides of the jade bat amulet.
On one side, you can see the stick figure of a man with his hands raised in prayer, which is actually the character for an ancestor who is presenting an offering to the gods and ancestors.
I am not able to read most of the other characters as the pitting of the jade has made it difficult to accurately read the characters.
Although obscured by pitting and differential weathering, one can still see such characters as those for: ancestors, spirits, death, man, beasts, etc.
Jade was highly prized by these early civilizations in China and it was thought to have positive energy to drive away evil spirits and bring good luck and fortune to all who wore a piece on their person--in life and in death. Jade was also believed to be a portal or messenger that could carry prayers to Heaven and send messages to those on Earth from departed ancestors and Gods in Heaven.
This ancient amulet is a fine work of art and it is truly a museum quality study piece of great historical significance.
Because of its cultural significance, it is highly recommended that this item be for display only.
NOTE:
Please note that there are hundreds of modern reproduction amulets for sale on eBay from China and the USA, but nearly all are modern fakes, and some aren’t even jade.
So please insure that you are bidding on the real thing if that is what you want before you bid.
If you only want a reproduction piece for a few dollars that is just fine, just be sure you are getting the quality and authenticity you are paying for.
Price & Value
I have carefully examined this ancient jade amulet and I
GUARANTEE
it to be 100% original and authentic or your money back! I’ve looked under 10x magnification under both natural and Black Light and I can find no signs of any modern tool work or repairs. The hand tool marks left in the jade by the master stone artist who carved, shaped, and engraved this work of art appear to be consistent with those marks of other ancient jades I have examined.
Each object I sell is professionally researched, translated (if I can...(smile), and compared with similar objects in the collections of the finest museums in the world. I have been dealing in fine antiquities for over 45 years and although certainly not an expert in every field, I have been honored to appraise, buy, collect, and enjoy and recently sell some of the finest ancient art in the world. When in doubt, I have worked with dozens of subject matter experts to determine the condition and authenticity of numerous antiquities and antiques. This careful examination helps to insure you are buying quality items and helps to protect your investment. There are many modern reproductions or "fakes" on the market today, so be sure and buy only from experts in the field.
I
GUARANTEE
this amulet is ancient and authentic or your money back!
Please examine the macro photos taken indoors carefully, as they are part of the description.
The stand and AA battery are not part of the auction, just included to give you a better perspective.
And please ask any questions before you buy.
Please ask any questions you may have before you bid!  Thanks for Looking!
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THANKS!
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