Open-work charm

Another distinctive feature of open-work charms is that they’re almost purely based on illustrative imagery and only a small minority of them contain legends written in Hanzi characters.

Open-work charms were originally first cast under the reign of the Han dynasty, but a large number of the ones from this era are mostly just small fractions taken from other utensils made from metal.

During the Song, Mongol Yuan, and Ming dynasties open-work charms were popularly used as dress ornaments for the adornment of the wearer.

During the Ming dynasty open-work charms with themes of buildings and temples were primarily made in the Yunnanese city of Dali.

It puts in the foreront an important tenet: Words are no idle sounds, characters or penstrokes are not mere ink or paint, but they constitute or produce the reality which they represent.

An example of a Chinese open-work charm with a bat design that was quite popular during the Ming and Qing dynasties would be one where five bats surrounded the Hanzi character for "longevity" (壽), this open-work charm is a play on the popular Chinese saying "five fortunes surround longevity" (五福捧壽, wǔ fú pěng shòu).

Open-work charms that display fenghuang also tend to be on the larger side (for example 58 millimeters in diameter) and also being both thick and heavy.

Over time the reputation of the flower changed and peonies became a symbol for longevity, everlasting physical beauty, loyalty, and being happy.

Because the Mandarin Chinese word for "lion" (獅, shī) sounds like the Mandarin Chinese word for "master" or "teacher" (師, shī) which could be seen as a reference to the Zhou dynasty government title of "senior grand tutor" (太師, tà ishī), which was the highest civil official.

For this reason an open-work charm depicting two lions and a cash coin could symbolise the wish for high ranks and wealth to be passed down from one generation to the next.

[4] Open-work charms that feature the design of a lotus[18] according to Buddhist tradition symbolise a detachment from worldly cares due to the manner the flower which is perceived to be beautiful to emerge from the pond's muck.

[4] Open-work charms depicting pavilions and temples first started appearing during the Song dynasty, and the majority of these are thought to have been manufactured in the city of Dali.

[4] An example of an open-work charm depicting a Chinese immortal and several animals believed to bring "good luck" is one that contains the immortal associated with longevity Xiwangmu holding a Ruyi sceptre standing besides a deer and a tortoise, both of these are associated with longevity as well with the deer having an extra association with wealth and attaining a high rank because the Mandarin Chinese word for "deer" (鹿, lù) sounds like the Mandarin Chinese term for "the salary of a government official" (祿, lù).

[4] Chinese open-work charms that depict the Qilin symbolise a wish for good fortune, longevity, charity, prosperity, and for benevolences to befall the wearer.

The traditional explanation of the depicted scene and its hidden meaning is that it shows people doing intense labour hoping that it’ll bring them prosperity.