Amuletsthe gallery← amulets.guru
China & Taiwan · c. 3500 BCE – today

Taoist fu talismans

Meaning

A fu is a talisman in 'cloud script' or celestial writing, drawn in red cinnabar on yellow paper and stamped with temple seals. It works like an official document from the heavenly bureaucracy, ordering spirits and demons to obey.

Intent

Fu are pasted over doors, burned and mixed into water to drink, folded into pouches and worn, or placed in houses and cars, to expel demons, heal illness, protect and bring luck. Each has a specific purpose and must be drawn with ritual.

Significance

Fu are central to Daoism and folk religion and are still issued by temples in Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China. They inspired the talismans of Japanese ofuda and Korean bujeok, and appear in countless kung-fu and jiangshi films.

History

Daoist fu go back to the Eastern Han (2nd century CE) and the Celestial Masters movement. The tradition continues without a break to modern temples.

Making yours
Yellow paper strip about 8×25 cm. Brush the seal script in vermilion, with star-chart and Thunder Lord figures, plus temple stamp seals.
China & Taiwan: the tradition

China has one of the oldest continuous amulet traditions, from Neolithic jade (Hongshan and Liangzhu, c. 3500–2300 BCE) to Han dynasty exorcism batons (gangmao) and cicada tongue-amulets for the dead. Daoism developed fu talismans, writing in a celestial script that commands spirits and is issued like official documents. From the Han period coin-shaped charms (yasheng qian, 'suppressing coins') carried auspicious words and spells. Much Chinese protective imagery works through puns: bat (fu) sounds like fortune, fish (yu) like abundance, gourd (hulu) like protection.

See all 86, save the ones that feel rightAsk about having one made
Lohan (Arhat) Holding a Fu DogLohan (Arhat) Holding a Fu DogChina, Jiangxi province, Jingdezhen kilns, Qing dynasty (1644-1911), Kangxi reign (1662-1722) · 1662–1722Zhenwu with the Eight Trigrams, the Northern Dipper, and TalismansZhenwu with the Eight Trigrams, the Northern Dipper, and TalismansChina · Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 17th or early 18th centuryTalisman, amulet box, gao amulet from People's Republic of ChinaTalisman, amulet box, gao amulet from People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of ChinaMedical talisman for complicated labour (Chinese MS)Medical talisman for complicated labour (Chinese MS)United KingdomMedical talisman for menstrual flooding (Chinese MS)Medical talisman for menstrual flooding (Chinese MS)ChinaChinese Fulu talisman han dynasty 乌程汉简浙江出土Chinese Fulu talisman han dynasty 乌程汉简浙江出土Han dynastyChinese woodcut: Talisman against epidemic diseasesChinese woodcut: Talisman against epidemic diseasesLohan (Arhat) Holding a Peach; Lohan (Arhat) Holding a Fu DogLohan (Arhat) Holding a Peach; Lohan (Arhat) Holding a Fu DogChina, Jiangxi province, Jingdezhen kilns, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Kangxi reign (1662–1722) · 1662–1722Medical talisman against miscarriage (Chinese MS)Medical talisman against miscarriage (Chinese MS)United KingdomMedical talisman for complicated labour (Chinese MS)Medical talisman for complicated labour (Chinese MS)ChinaTalisman appears in DFHY 62.5bTalisman appears in DFHY 62.5bMing dynastyMedical talisman for menstrual problems (Chinese MS)Medical talisman for menstrual problems (Chinese MS)Medical talisman, to ward off plague (Chinese C19 woodcut)Medical talisman, to ward off plague (Chinese C19 woodcut)United KingdomMedical talisman, to ward off plague (Chinese C19 woodcut)Medical talisman, to ward off plague (Chinese C19 woodcut)ChinaChinese Joss Board, to drive off Evil.Chinese Joss Board, to drive off Evil.Medical talisman for irregular menstruation (Chinese MS)Medical talisman for irregular menstruation (Chinese MS)Medical talisman for irregular menstruation (Chinese MS)Medical talisman for irregular menstruation (Chinese MS)United KingdomMedical talisman for menstrual problems (Chinese MS)Medical talisman for menstrual problems (Chinese MS)ChinaChinese woodcut: Talisman against epidemic diseasesChinese woodcut: Talisman against epidemic diseasesMedical talisman for menstrual flooding (Chinese MS)Medical talisman for menstrual flooding (Chinese MS)Medical talisman for menstrual problems (Chinese MS)Medical talisman for menstrual problems (Chinese MS)United KingdomMedical talisman (Chinese C19 woodcut)Medical talisman (Chinese C19 woodcut)ChinaMedical talisman against miscarriage (Chinese MS)Medical talisman against miscarriage (Chinese MS)Medical talisman against miscarriage (Chinese MS)Medical talisman against miscarriage (Chinese MS)Medical talisman for gestation and puerperium (Chinese MS)Medical talisman for gestation and puerperium (Chinese MS)United KingdomMedical talisman for irregular menstruation (Chinese MS)Medical talisman for irregular menstruation (Chinese MS)ChinaSword-shaped cash coin talismanSword-shaped cash coin talismanMedical talisman for complicated labour (Chinese MS)Medical talisman for complicated labour (Chinese MS)Medical talisman against miscarriage (Chinese MS)Medical talisman against miscarriage (Chinese MS)United KingdomCTB 304 J534CEV Talisman Coaches 304 - Flickr - megabus13601CTB 304 J534CEV Talisman Coaches 304 - Flickr - megabus13601Medical talisman for infertility and miscarriage (Chinese MS)Medical talisman for infertility and miscarriage (Chinese MS)Medical talisman for menstrual flooding (Chinese MS)Medical talisman for menstrual flooding (Chinese MS)United KingdomCTB 304 J534CEV Talisman Coaches 304 - Flickr - megabus13601 (4)CTB 304 J534CEV Talisman Coaches 304 - Flickr - megabus13601 (4)Medical talisman for gestation and puerperium (Chinese MS)Medical talisman for gestation and puerperium (Chinese MS)Medical talisman (Chinese C19 woodcut)Medical talisman (Chinese C19 woodcut)United KingdomCTB 304 Talisman 304 Ipswich - Flickr - megabus13601CTB 304 Talisman 304 Ipswich - Flickr - megabus13601Medical talisman against miscarriage (Chinese MS)Medical talisman against miscarriage (Chinese MS)Chinese woodcut: Talisman against epidemic diseasesChinese woodcut: Talisman against epidemic diseasesUnited KingdomCTB 306 J605CEV Talisman Coaches 306 - Flickr - megabus13601CTB 306 J605CEV Talisman Coaches 306 - Flickr - megabus13601Medical talisman, to ward off plague (Chinese C19 woodcut)Medical talisman, to ward off plague (Chinese C19 woodcut)Medical talisman for infertility and miscarriage (Chinese MS)Medical talisman for infertility and miscarriage (Chinese MS)United KingdomCTB 306 Talisman 306 Billericay 2009 - Flickr - megabus13601CTB 306 Talisman 306 Billericay 2009 - Flickr - megabus13601Medical talisman (Chinese C19 woodcut)Medical talisman (Chinese C19 woodcut)CTB 306 Talisman 306 Marks Tey - Flickr - megabus13601CTB 306 Talisman 306 Marks Tey - Flickr - megabus13601A Chinese talisman of a warrior with sword. Colour woodcut by a Chinese artist.A Chinese talisman of a warrior with sword. Colour woodcut by a Chinese artist.Amuletic Board, China, 1801-1900Amuletic Board, China, 1801-1900A Chinese talisman of a warrior with sword. Colour woodcut by a Chinese artist.A Chinese talisman of a warrior with sword. Colour woodcut by a Chinese artist.Chinese talisman for protectionChinese talisman for protectionA Chinese talisman of an angel with a cudgel. Colour woodcut by a Chinese artist.A Chinese talisman of an angel with a cudgel. Colour woodcut by a Chinese artist.Hängsmycke av låghaltigt silver - Etnografiska MuseetHängsmycke av låghaltigt silver - Etnografiska MuseetA Chinese talisman of a man in blue robes. Colour woodcut by a Chinese artist.A Chinese talisman of a man in blue robes. Colour woodcut by a Chinese artist.King's Day Free Market, Groningen (2019)King's Day Free Market, Groningen (2019)A Chinese talisman featuring a man in a fur coat. Colour woodcut by a Chinese artist.A Chinese talisman featuring a man in a fur coat. Colour woodcut by a Chinese artist.Medical talisman for infertility and miscarriage (Chinese MS)Medical talisman for infertility and miscarriage (Chinese MS)A Chinese talisman featuring a man in bright orange robes. Colour woodcut by a Chinese artist.A Chinese talisman featuring a man in bright orange robes. Colour woodcut by a Chinese artist.CTB 304 J534CEV Talisman Coaches 304 - Flickr - megabus13601 (2)CTB 304 J534CEV Talisman Coaches 304 - Flickr - megabus13601 (2)A Chinese talisman featuring a man in a fur coat. Colour woodcut by a Chinese artist.A Chinese talisman featuring a man in a fur coat. Colour woodcut by a Chinese artist.CTB 304 Talisman 304 Billericay 2009 - Flickr - megabus13601CTB 304 Talisman 304 Billericay 2009 - Flickr - megabus13601A Chinese talisman of a man in blue and red robes. Colour woodcut by a Chinese artist.A Chinese talisman of a man in blue and red robes. Colour woodcut by a Chinese artist.CTB 304 Talisman 304 Newbury Park - Flickr - megabus13601CTB 304 Talisman 304 Newbury Park - Flickr - megabus13601

More from China & Taiwan: Coin charms (yasheng qian) · Longevity locks · Jade & hardstone amulets · Bagua mirrors, coin swords & temple charms · Other & unsorted China
Every type in the gallery

Anything in the gallery can be made: any piece, any tradition, in its own material or yours, by hand from the documented original. Numbered. Price on commission, quoted before anything is made. I reply within one business day.