Single characters and phrases of auspicious meaning in both seal form and in the ordinary script occur in the decoration and also in the place of the mark. Many instances have already been noted in the chapters dealing with Ming porcelains, such as _fu kuei k’ang ning_ (riches, honours, peace and serenity), _ch’ang ming fu kuei_ (long life, riches and honours), etc., see vol. i., p. 225. The most frequent of these characters is _shou_ (longevity), which is written in a great variety of fanciful forms, mostly of the seal type. The “hundred forms of shou” sometimes constitute the sole decoration of a vase; and as already observed[526] the swastika (_wan_) is sometimes combined with the circular form of the seal character _shou_ to make the _wan shou_ symbol of ten thousand longevities. _Fu_ (happiness) and _lu_ (preferment) also occur, though less frequently. Buddhistic inscriptions are usually in Sanskrit characters, but we find occasional phrases such as _Tien chu en po_ [chch 4] (propitious waves from India) and _Fo ming ch’ang jih_ [chch 4] (the ever bright Buddha) in ordinary script or seal, one character in each of four medallions; and the sacred name of _O mi t’o fo_ [chch 4], Amida Buddha, similarly applied, would serve as a charm against evil. In addition to the central designs, there is a number of secondary ornaments which round off the decoration of a piece of porcelain. Chief of these are the border patterns, of which a few favourites may be exemplified. At the head of the list comes the Greek key-fret or meander (see Plate 12, Fig. 1), which, like the swastika, is of world-wide use. On the ancient bronze this pattern was freely used both in borders and as a diaper background, and it is described by Chinese archæologists as the “cloud and thunder pattern.” It is sometimes varied by the inclusion of the swastika, in which case it is known as the swastika fret. Another bronze pattern freely borrowed by the porcelain decoration is the border of stiff plantain leaves which appears appropriately on the neck or stem of an upright vase (see Plate 89, Fig. 1). The border of small “S” shaped scrolls is apparently derived from silkworm cocoons; but the curled scrolls and another scroll pattern with more elaborate curves are intended to suggest clouds. A further development of the cloud pattern is scarcely distinguishable from the _ju-i_ head border (see Plate 77, Fig. 2). Indeed the terms, “connected cloud” pattern, _ju-i_ cloud pattern, and _ju-i_ head pattern, are used almost interchangeably by Chinese archæologists. Conventional waves are represented by a kind of shaded scale pattern or a diaper of spiral coils, and the more naturalistic “crested wave” border, punctuated by conical rocks, has already been mentioned. There are besides narrow borders of zig-zag pattern with diagonal hatching, and the ordinary diaper designs, in addition to the familiar gadroons and arcaded borders.