Charms

wpe12.jpg (4153 個位元組)          wpe16.jpg (4050 個位元組)No. Cm/1

 

Bride's dower

 

Weight: 1 mace (3.7 grams) 

Inscription: 

 

Obv(Left): 夫婦齊眉 'Fu F'u Chi Mei' means "a married couple have the

same brows", which implies a blessing for a marriage to be in great harmony.

 

Rev(Right): Manchu scripts: 寶廣 Bao Kuang (Kuangtung Treasury Bureau of the Ching Dynasty). In this piece, the two words were only borrowed to indicate it was originated from Kuangtung) 

 

Notes: 

 

This silver charm featured in a cash coin could be a dower of a bride, and was supposed to have been sewed on her dress or hat for blessing.

 

All the inscriptions were done by engraving, rather than stamping or machine struck.

 

This piece is estimated to be a specimen as of the early Republican era (1912- ) 

No. Cm/2

 

Statue of a Yuan-Wai. 

 

Length: 4 cm

 

In the past, Chinese people used to give rich people who owned property over 1,000 taels of silver a respectful name "Yuan-Wai" (員外), and this statue dating to the latter part of the Ching Dynasty vividly illustrates of a stereo image of "Yuan Wai" of that time, in terms of his hat, dress and body shape. A piece of sycee lying on the Yuan-Wai's belly is to show off his fortune. 

                

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