White Copper Five Jambhalas Openwork Talisman Pendant

The five wealth deities are divided east, west, south, north and centre, and who holds each post varies from place to place. In one common arrangement the east belongs to Bi Gan, the west to Guan Yu, the south to Chai Rong, the north to Zhao Gongming and the centre to Wang Hai, each governing a quarter. Another puts Zhao Gongming in the middle on the grounds that he commands the other four, who then divide their work below him. This set follows the first arrangement, so check which figure is carved on the face before buying. If it isn’t clear, ask. Guessing from memory is how a gift goes wrong.

A talisman cut into a plaque is not the same thing as a spell painted on yellow paper. The characters run vertically with breathing space between them, and the openwork cuts the background away entirely so that the talisman floats. Cut away too much and the plaque goes hollow, deforming under a thumb; cut too little and it looks pasted on, a flat slab from across the room. That judgement is made by hand and by the age of the mould, since a new mould cuts sharp and an old one cuts blunt. A frame has to be left around the openwork, or the plaque snaps across the middle.

Casting cupronickel, thin is the enemy. Talisman strokes are fine, and if the metal fails to reach the end of one, a stroke is missing and the mould has to be touched up line by line. Repaired spots run slightly darker, which the ageing hides. The back has to be flat: raise a bump there and it digs in, especially in summer. Edges are rounded or they snag knitwear. After casting the plaque is flattened, because the least warp hangs it crooked. Thickness is judged entirely by feel; too thick drags at the neck, too thin will not take a knock.

There are two ways to hang it. A Chopin chain, flat links interlocking, is strong and does not knot at the collar, though it catches hair. Buy the pendant alone and you can choose your own cord instead: leather, waxed cotton, changed whenever you like. The plaque is not light, so don’t put it on too fine a chain, and a lobster clasp outlasts a spring one. Chain to the chest puts the plaque on fabric rather than bone. Under a turtleneck in winter it will press a mark, and there is no avoiding that.

Wealth deities are about good phrasing, not bookkeeping. Some people buy and then wait for business to double, which is not a thing the shop will say. For a friend in trade, talk about a lively picture and solid work; that is more decent than talking about efficacy. Put a note in the box explaining how the five directions divide, and the recipient will read it. Anyone who really cares will ask where the design comes from, and answering shows the goods aren’t hollow. Don’t mix the five with the nine: two systems, and together they are a mess.