Eight Auspicious Symbols
八宝 · babao
The Eight Auspicious Symbols — wheel, conch, parasol, victory banner, lotus, endless knot, fish and vase — are Buddhist emblems, in popular usage the “eight signs of good fortune”, usually shown with fluttering ribbons and clouds.
Historical development
The exact membership of the set varies by context; the Buddhist Eight Auspicious Signs should be distinguished from the more loosely assembled secular “assorted treasures”.
In embroidery the emblems are usually given fluttering ribbons, which serve the composition and lift the objects clear of the ground.
Cultural meaning
The wheel turns without ceasing; the conch sounds the auspicious voice of the teaching; parasol and banner cover and protect; the lotus rises unstained from the mud; the vase signifies complete merit and wisdom; the fish, free in the water, stands for unhindered release, and through a pun for abundance; the endless knot, running back into itself without end, for long life.
Plates
The same motif as it appears on different objects, gathered for comparison. Dates and provenance for each example are to be established and added.
Auspicious symbol (i)
Auspicious symbol (ii)
Auspicious symbol (iii)
Fish
Endless knot
