Coin Sword

55-20-1

From: China

Curatorial Section: Asian

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Object Number 55-20-1
Current Location Collections Storage
Culture Chinese
Provenience China
Period Qing Dynasty | Qianlong
Date Made 18th - 19th Century CE
Section Asian
Materials Chinese Coin | Metal | String
Description

A wizard's coin sword made of coins from the Qianlong era (1736-1795 CE) of the Qing Dynasty. The coins have 乾隆通寶 Qian Long Tong Bao on the obverse and Manchu characters on the reverse and are tied together with red and undyed string. This sword would have been used by a Wuist priest to exorcise demons. It was hung over the sick to rid them of demons. Six coins are attached to a red string which is attached to the sword. One of the coins is from the Jiaqing era and says 嘉慶通寶 Jia Qing Tong Bao on the obverse. Two other coins are loose and some are missing from the hand guard. The bottom has no stopper and may have originally had coins hanging off it which have since been reattached higher up on the sword via string.

Length 56.8 cm
Width 7 cm
Credit Line Gift of Florence M. Gourlay, 1955
Other Number 92-1-345 - Old Museum Number

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