黻 (fú): an embroidered ceremonial patte…

Meanings

1 an embroidered ceremonial pattern of black-and-blue interlocking 弓-shapes; one of the Twelve Ornaments
2 ceremonial robe embroidered with this pattern

Characters

黻

fú

ceremonial embroidered pattern

Examples

君子至止，黻衣绣裳。

Jūnzǐ zhì zhǐ, fú yī xiùcháng.

Lords and gentlemen are here in their black-and-blue embroidered ceremonial robes.

Tips

register

fú is strictly archaic — a technical term in classical ritual dress. It names one of the Twelve Ornaments (十二章) embroidered on the emperor's and senior officials' ceremonial robes: pairs of interlocking 弓-shaped lines in black and blue, symbolising the discrimination of right and wrong (the back-to-back 弓 figures suggesting two parties facing off in judgement). The compound 黼黻 names the pair of axe-pattern + 弓-pattern ornaments together, and the phrase 黼黻文章 came to mean splendid literary composition. Modern Chinese readers meet 黻 only in classical texts, art-history writing, and discussions of imperial regalia.

history

The 十二章 (Twelve Ornaments) was the system of twelve emblems embroidered on the sovereign's robe — sun, moon, stars, mountain, dragon, pheasant, ritual vessels, water-grass, fire, rice grains, axe (黼), and the 弓-pattern (黻). Each symbolised a virtue of governance. The pair 黼黻 was the most senior, restricted to the highest ranks; lesser officials wore fewer emblems on lesser-coloured grounds.

Components

radical

黹 zhǐ

embroidery (radical)

Left embroidery radical (Kangxi #204) — pictures embroidery-stitch crossings. Marks the character as a textile / needlework term. The radical family is tiny but coherent: 黻 and 黼 (axe-pattern embroidery) are the two main members, both naming Twelve-Ornament patterns.

phonetic

犮 bá

to pull out; supplying the sound

Right 犮 — supplies the sound (bá → fú, an irregular but historically attested shift in this phonetic series). The same phonetic anchors 拔 (pull out), 跋 (trek).