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This information was automatically generated from data provided by MOA: University of British Columbia. It has been standardized to aid in finding and grouping information within the RRN. Accuracy and meaning should be verified from the Data Source tab.

Description

Round charm with a four-sided hole at the centre, and a rim around the outer edge and centre hole. Two Chinese characters in seal-script on face, and a design on reverse that depicts a mythical animal (bull?) below, with another design element above.

History Of Use

Design similar to a coin, but too large to circulate; not from the period it purports to be from. (Larson, David) Archaic coins were often attributed to have magical power, embodying essence from the remote past. Its modelling after the Han coin and the addition of devine iconography, almost certainly point to a Daoist association. This charm may have been used in rituals or as an amulet. (Li, Min)

Iconographic Meaning

Image of a deity on the reverse, holding a flag and a sword. It probably represents Taishang Liaojun (Lao-tzu) or the Thunder God, powerful figures in the Daoist pantheon. At the bottom was an image of a tiger. (Li, Min)

Item History

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