charm

Charm or amulet made from coins and fashioned in the shape of a sword. A metal core runs vertically through the centre of the charm, with overlapping coins attached to this core by dyed red and yellow thread. Circular pendants are attached to both sides of the charm, with additional coins suspended from these pendants.

Three coins have become loose from the hanging pendants.

An old exhibition label accompanying the charm reads: 'Amulet of coins (cash) hung near the bed of a sick person to aid recovery. China'. The charm was donated by Dr. C. J. Kirton in 1916.

object
MUSEUM NUMBER
16.39
PLACE
COLLECTION
MEASUREMENTS
overall: 370 mm x 25 mm x 200 mm
MATERIAL/TECHNIQUE
metal; thread; dye; copper alloy
CATEGORY
Anthropology: Ethnography
LOCATION
In storage
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Collection Information

These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.

The database sometimes uses language taken from historical documents to help research, which may now appear outdated and even offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.

If you have any further information about objects in our collections or can suggest corrections to our information, please contact us: enquiry@horniman.ac.uk