Antique Chinese Brass Bat Motif Buckle

Item Details

An antique Chinese brass buckle. This piece features a two-piece buckle with each half decorated with a longevity medallion flanked by five bats, a rebus meaning “may you have the five blessings” (五福 wu fu) which are old age, wealth, health, love of virtue, and a peaceful death. The two-piece buckle has a hook closure and metal loops to verso. Each piece is marked with the previous museum inventory numbers to the versos ‘1938.0024 a & b’.

Provenance
Collected in the late 19th and early 20th century and donated to a Private Midwestern Institution in 1938
Sold to enhance and preserve the Institution’s mission-relevant Collections

Condition

- wear consistent with age.
- museum ID number present to verso.

Item #

17COL077-179