The blessing is a verb, not a noun. Five butterflies fly toward the central doorway from every direction — linmen means arriving at the door, a present-tense action. The piece does not show blessings already received. It shows them in flight, on their way. That distinction is the entire design concept.
The butterfly carries the blessing in its name. In Chinese, húdié (butterfly) shares its first character with fú (blessing/fortune) in traditional wordplay — the butterfly is the blessing made visible and given wings. Five butterflies, five qualities of fortune: longevity, prosperity, health, virtue, and a life fulfilled. The layout is festive and alive, not the solemn stillness of a conventional auspicious object.
The latticed doorway opening is a craft achievement. A square latticed opening fired in high-temperature white porcelain is among the most fragile structures in the medium — prone to fracture and deformation in the kiln. Every piece that comes through with the opening square and intact represents precise control of temperature and clay body. The opening also lets light pass through, giving the piece a different quality of presence depending on the light around it.
One piece, seven daily uses. Wall ornament, trivet, serving platter, fruit plate, teapot stand, cup rest, flat vase — Blessings in Flight has the most varied range of practical uses of any piece in the NewChi Porcelain collection. The blessing appears wherever the piece is placed.