Tag Archives: bat

 

DSC_0397

This Mahjong One Bam is ornately carved in contrast to the simplicity of the others Bams which are shaped like rods.  The One Dot has the round shou in its center, symbolizing longevity and immortality, whereas the other Dots are simple circles. The top quartet of the Flowers/Seasons reads; fu 'good fortune and happiness'; ru 'like', dong 'eastern' and hai 'sea' = fu ru dong hai = "happiness and good fortune like the Eastern Sea". The bottom quartet reads; shou 'longevity'; bi 'compared'; nan 'Southern' and shan 'Mountain' = shou bi nan shan = "longevity compared to the South Mountain".

While typing this up, I noticed the top #1 Flower has a bat on it, another symbol of longevity. The moon rise appears on the #3 tile. The crane appearing on Bottom tile #1 is also a symbol of longevity.