What does it mean to carve both bats and peaches on some ancient Chinese artifacts?

The peach represents longevity and the bat represents good fortune, and the two usually appear together as well, signifying good fortune and longevity.

The bat pattern is a traditional Chinese allegorical pattern. Bat is not a bird or a mouse, but a mammal that can fly, belonging to the order Pterodactyla in zoology. In traditional Chinese decorative arts, the image of bats is taken as a symbol of happiness. Customs use the harmonics of the words "bat" and "fortune" and the flying of bats to combine them into the symbol of "entering fortune", hoping that happiness will be like the happiness of the people of China. It is hoped that happiness will come down from the sky like the bat.

In the legend of the Queen Mother of the West's peach tree, 3,000 years of blossom, 3,000 years of fruit, peach tree is the tree of longevity. Therefore, there are folk proverbs, "pomegranate open a hundred sons of blessings, peach offering a thousand years of life. The traditional culture of China is to offer "longevity peaches" to celebrate the birthday of a child.

Expanded:

The variations of bat motifs are quite rich, there are inverted bats, double bats, four bats holding the Fortune and five bats, etc..

Traditionally, bats are combined with the character for "longevity", which is called "five bats holding longevity". The five blessings are: one day of life, two days of wealth, three days of peace, four days to repair the virtue, five days to the end of life.

There are bats and clouds combined together, the name "Hongfuqitian";

Bats, Shoushan stone plus Ruyi or Ganoderma, the name "peace and happiness".

Fu Shou Ruyi pattern, the lower part of the gold woven "Shou" two Ruyi cloud bracket, under the bracket is an inverted flying bat.

Longevity pattern, the deer cleverly painted in the shape of a group, the north negative Ruyi Ganoderma holding the word of longevity, the word of longevity decorated with wings flying between the bats, the composition is very simple and generous.

Baidu Encyclopedia - Bat Pattern

Baidu Encyclopedia - Peach Pattern