Common Patterns and Their Symbolic Meanings in Folk Ceramics
Three Goats (Yang) Usher in Peace
This motif is derived from the Book of Changes (I Ching). The text states: “The tenth month is the Kun hexagram, representing pure yin. The eleventh month is the Fu hexagram, with one yang emerging below. The twelfth month is the Lin hexagram, with two yang emerging below. The first month is the Tai hexagram, with three yang emerging below.” Thus, the three yang symbolize the departure of winter and the arrival of spring, the decline of yin and the growth of yang, representing auspiciousness and prosperity. On Ming and Qing dynasty porcelain, three goats are often depicted with the inscription “Three Yang Usher in Peace,” while nine goats are accompanied by the phrase “Nine Yang Herald Peace” (nine yang also refers to the nine yang numbers mentioned in the Book of Changes). Both are expressions of praise for the beginning of the year.
