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Auction: CSS92C - THE PRESTIGIOUS ACADEMIC REFERENCE COLLECTION OF THE LATE DR. WERNER BURGER - Part 3: Chinese Charms
Lot: 2145

China: Liao-Jin Dynasty (916-1234 CE), openwork charm with square central hole, a human figure sitting above the central hole flanked by two further human figures on both sides and a horse underneath, 58.3x3.8mm, 45.5g. An important example from the openwork genre, depicting a human figure sitting above the central hole flanked by two other human figures on both sides and a horse underneath, the outer rim decorated with elaborate foliage patterns, all in excellent condition with pleasant red and green patination commensurate with Liao dynasty or even earlier, a heavy and thick piece, extremely rare and important. Note: The human figure sitting above the central hole is interpreted to be Prince Siddhartha, who later became Gautama Buddha. The horse underneath the central hole, according to the same interpretation, is named Kanthaka, a favourite white horse of eighteen cubits in length, who served as a royal servant of Prince Siddhartha. Only several specimens have been seen so far but they are all second to the current piece in terms of quality and condition. One other specimen, with hanging loop, was auctioned at the Autumn Sale of Xiling Yinshe in 2020, Lot 4685. This current piece is the same specimen that is used in Dr Burger's article on Chinese charms entitled Coins Which are Not Money: Cultural Functions and Symbolism collected in the book Money in Asia (1200-1900): Small Currencies in Social and Political Contexts edited by Jane Kate Leonard and Ulrich Theobald, Brill 2022.


神怪方穿鏤空花錢，遼金（公元9161234）時期，58.3x3.8mm，重62.2g。一神祗趺坐於穿上，手托腮作思考狀；穿左右二人似為護衛，均手持有物；穿下一鞍馬，作俯首食草狀；外緣面背均刻有纏枝紋。該錢藝術水準十足，構圖層次清晰，人物表情栩栩如生。品相極佳，包漿厚實堅潤，且紅斑綠銹，坑色美觀悅目。鑄工亦十分精美，錢體厚重，方穿規整，內廓微顯水紅銅色，穿內亦見硃砂斑銹，可知其年代久遠，上可看遼宋，甚至更早。此式鏤空目前僅數見，且品相皆遜於此處之布氏舊藏，故疑為最初精鑄版，尤其珍罕難得。另一版帶掛環者，見於西泠印社2020年秋季拍賣會中國歷代錢幣專場，拍品第4685號。注：此錢為宗教題材，穿上之神祇一說為佛祖釋迦摩尼，穿下白馬乃其尚為俗世王子時期之坐騎。另：該錢為布氏“是錢非錢：花錢的文化功能及意義”一文所用原物。該文收錄於《1200-1900的亞洲錢幣：社會與政治框架中的貨幣》一書，J.K Leonard與U. Theobald編輯，2022年布瑞爾出版社出版。

Estimate

Starting price
HK$40000