CHINA: AE charm (38.53g), Semans-376a (plate coin), Ramsden-188var, 47mm openwork flower type, four lotuses, VF, ex Jürgen M. Wilmes Collection, ex I.S. Coushnir Collection. "Open-work" charms are one of the major types of ancient Chinese charms. They are referred to in Chinese as lou kong qian "hollowed out" money and ling long qian "elegant" money. Chinese open work charms have irregular shaped "openings" between their exquisite design elements. They are round and almost always have a round hole in the center. Openwork charms became very popular and were often worn for personal adornment during the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties. I.S. Coushnir published a short catalog, Chinese Coins Without Currency, of mostly Chinese openwork charms documenting 36 charms and amulets. Published in The China Journal, Vol. XVII, No. 6, December 1932.The charm appears to portray the leisurely and carefree life of scholars and retired officials, although others believe that the scene is actually an idealized "Temple of Confucius" and that the individuals represent Confucius himself. One characteristic of pavilion charms is that, unlike other types of open work charms, the center hole tends to be square instead of round.

Estimate: USD 150 - 250