Those that have a love for Chinese art and antiques are surely attracted to the items based on their beautiful visual appearance. While the shape and style of the antiques certainly add to their aesthetic value, the symbols engraved into the items are also visually alluring as they are truly eye catching. While some may acknowledge the visual beauty of these symbols, they may not have much knowledge in terms of what these symbols represent and what they mean. For those that are curious about the meaning behind these symbols, the following is a brief overview:

Gods: To say that there are a great many ancient gods in Chinese cultural history and many of them are represented in the symbols carved or drawn in the antiques. Since Chinese history dates back to the year 3,000 BC, it is no surprise that many of the gods and goddesses represented in the symbols are linked to the many different cultural aspects of human behavior over the years. That is why the depiction of these gods is heavily influenced by emotions. There is a top tier of gods known as the Stellar Triad and a second tier known as the 8 Immortals. Their appearances in antiques and art are quite frequent. Some of the gods and their representation include: Hexiangu (Marriage), Lu Dongbin (Liberator of greed and lust), Zaojun (Harmony in the household), Xi (joy), and many others.

Animals: Since a great deal of Chinese cultural history entails the study of the natural world, it is no surprise that scores of animals are represented in antiques as well. The imagery of the animals includes bats (good luck), monkeys (human spirit), turtles (immortality), and various other indigenous creatures of the region. Each and every animal is connected to a specific trait in a manner no different than how gods are depicted.