White Copper Five Jambhalas Talisman Antique Pendant

East is Xiao Sheng, west is Cao Bao, south is Chen Jiugong, north is Yao Shaosi, and with Zhao Gongming in the centre the five make up the Five Routes of Wealth. The first two govern the attracting of treasure and the gathering of precious things, the last two the drawing in of money and the smoothing of trade; together they mean income arriving from whichever of the five directions you walk out of. The names are copied differently from place to place — the common arrangement is this one — and it does no harm to forget a name, but the directions must not be shuffled, because shuffled they become a mess. Yao Shaosi is often written as the Immortal Official of Profitable Trade; both are correct, and there is no need to correct anyone.

Antiquing is not the same as dirtying. A dip in a chemical bath turns the copper surface grey-black, then a cloth wheel brings the high points back up and leaves the hollows dark, and that is where the layers come from. Done roughly, the whole plaque is one tone, like something dug up and never washed. Done well, the strokes are black and the field between them bright, so raking light makes the characters seem to float — work that costs both hands and eyes. The strength of the bath has to be held down; too strong and it eats the corners of the strokes until the characters smear together.

The three sizes differ in use. The large one holds a room, whether hung in a car, behind a door, or set on a counter without apology; the small one sits close, unobtrusive on the chest, and does not push through a shirt; the gold version is electroplated, bright, and presentable when you are meeting people. On plated pieces the edges wear first and the white copper shows through, and the colour goes patchy, so keep them off hard objects. Hung in a car, the large one wants a short cord — under braking it will swing into the glass.

An antiqued surface fears the oil on your hands. Worn long, the high points polish themselves and the hollows go darker; that is normal colour movement, not plating flaking off. To keep it as it came, handle it less and bag it after wearing; to let it settle and gather more age, leave it alone, and in a year or two the colour reads better than a fresh finish. Do not wipe it with an oiled cloth, because the oil sinks into the sanded areas. And do not carry it in the same pocket as keys: knock a chip of black off and the metal underneath is bright, with no way to put it back.

As a gift the five routes are easier to talk about than a single wealth god — they favour no particular trade. A shop, a haulage business, a sales job, all take one. Put a slip of paper in the box naming all five, so the person receiving it knows this is not just any plaque. The particular ones will ask whether it is antiqued; antiqued looks steady, bright looks expensive, so choose by the other person’s temperament. Some customers buy three at a time — large for the shop, small for themselves, gold to give away — and they have it sorted out.