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Auction: CSS92C - THE PRESTIGIOUS ACADEMIC REFERENCE COLLECTION OF THE LATE DR. WERNER BURGER - Part 3: Chinese Charms
Lot: 2082

China: Liao-Jin Dynasty (916-1234 CE), openwork charm, two dragons rising in foliage-like clouds towards a fire pearl, 59.3x4.1mm, 62.2g, An absolutely stunning specimen from the openwork genre, showing two dragons rising in foliage-like clouds towards a fire pearl, clouds and claws forming discrete central hole with two hanging loops flanking the fire pearl showing natural signs of wear, with elaborate hand-engraved scales on the outer rim demonstrating superb workmanship, its patina dark brownish showing golden metal underneath typical of dragon openwork charms dating from the Liao as evidenced by No 249 in Chinese Charms: Art, Religion and Folk Belief by Alex Fang (The Commercial Press 2008), its air of high importance similar to that of Da yuan guo bao, believed to have been made as an imperial commemorative coin during the Zhi da reign with two dragons on the reverse, powerful, fierce, and royal, a thick and heavy piece of large size, probably gilded at some stage, thus far unique, extremely rare and important This is the same example 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.


雙昇龍鏤空花錢，遼金（公元916–1234）時期，59.3x4.1mm，重62.2g。雙龍昇於繚繞祥雲，聚於火珠。雲龍神態霸氣，極富張力。龍爪及如意雲頭形成菱形穿，外緣及輪邊均鏨刻有龍鱗。錢體厚重，似曾鎏金。該錢圖案設計和鑄工異常精美，品相極佳，火珠兩側掛孔略顯掛用痕跡，磨損自然細膩。該錢包漿棕紅色，厚處堅美熟潤，薄處透顯迷人金銅色，為典型遼代鏤空龍特徵，可參見《中國花錢與傳統文化》一書第249號之鏤空單龍（方稱宇著，北京商務印書館2008年出版）。同時，此錢氣息不凡，讓人聯想起大元國寶背龍錢，具有皇家氣派。該錢迄今僅見，且初次披露，尤其珍罕。迄今僅見。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$80000