Amulets and propitious coins in China
Résumé
This paper gives a short overview of the diversity of amulets in China by presenting a few specimens from the Ashmolean Museum’s collection (Oxford). Amulets’ study has been considered part of Chinese numismatics since the 12th century and probably before. Numismatists did collect them along with historical imperial coins. But the specificity of amulets is that they bear designs contrary to coins. We’ll discuss a few symbols as well as the hidden meaning of some designs.