Coin-shaped charm
China, 18th century AD
This charm was intended for use in driving away
evil or disease. The inscription reads 'drive out evil, and
let good fortune come'. On the right is Zhong Kui, the
famous demon-chaser, holding up his tablet of honour. He is chasing
the spider, one of the Five Poisons. The Five Poisons are the
lizard, the snake, the spider, the scorpion and the three-legged
toad. These all feature on the back of the charm, together with the
tiger, renowned for its powers in chasing away demons.
The tradition of using
charms in the shape of coins dates back about 2000 years to the Han
dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), and maybe even earlier. Coins, as money,
represent power, and in traditional Chinese thought, the key
function of a coin was to circulate. In this way, this coin-shaped
charm can be seen as a very compact form of power, packed with
symbolism, with far-reaching powers.