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User:Donald Trung/Marriage amulets of Korea

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This page serves as "the editing history" of the English Wikipedia article "Korean numismatic charm" and is preserved for attribution.

Original draft[edit]

'''Korean numismatic charms''' ([[Korean language|Korean]]: 열쇠패, literally "odd coins"), also known as ''Korean [[amulet]]s'', ''Korean [[talisman]]s'', or simply ''Korean charms'', refer to a family of cash coin-like and other numismatic inspired types of charms that like the [[Japanese numismatic charm|Japanese]] and [[Vietnamese numismatic charm|Vietnamese variants]] are derived from [[Chinese numismatic charm]]s (also referred to as ''Yansheng coins'' or ''huāqián''), but have evolved around the customs of the [[Korean culture]] although most of these charms resemble [[Korean mun|Korean cash coins]] and the amulet coins of China, they contain their own categories unique to Korea.<ref>Corean Coin Charms and Amulets - A supplement by Frederick Starr.</ref> There are approximately 500 different known variants of Korean numismatic charms.<ref>Hartill and op den Velde.</ref> During the [[Joseon dynasty]] only the [[Yangban]] class could afford money. A common Korean family would often only have one or two amulets "to protect" their family but wasn't capable to afford a large quantity of them. The Yangban however could afford to buy Korean amulets and charms and they frequently decorated the homes of the wealthy aristocracy. As the Japanese started taking over Korea in the beginning of the twentieth century many Korean families started selling whatever they could to get by, and when there was a global copper shortage in 1907 millions of Korean numismatic charms and Korean mun cash coins were sold for only their [[Intrinsic value (numismatics)|intrinsic value]] in copper. After [[Korea under Japanese rule|Korea became a Japanese colony]] the Japanese started collecting all the copper they could find for the [[World War II|war effort]] which is why Korean numismatic charms became less common.<ref>Mandel, Edgar J, Trial listing - Korean charms and amulets, 1972</ref> In some instances regular ''Sangpyeong Tongbo'' ([[Hanja]]: 常平通寶) cash coins were turned into amulets by making their outer shapes from round to octagonal as a reference to the [[Bagua|eight trigrams]], while seven holes representing the seven stars from Korean folk art were drilled into them.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.charm.ru/library/koreanbutton.htm|title= Korean Coin – Button.|date=1 July 1998|accessdate=19 June 2018|work= Vladimir Belyaev & Don Pfeifer (Charm.ru - Chinese Coinage Website).|language=en}}</ref> The widespread success of the ''Sangpyeong Tongbo'' cash coins also brought about many social changes to Korean society. One of these changes was the emergence of ''byeoljeon'', these were non-monetary decorative people that reflected on the desire of people to gain more wealth.<ref name="NIKHCurrency">{{cite web|url= http://contents.history.go.kr/front/eng/tz/view.do?levelId=tz_b25|title= Korean Currency.|date=2019|accessdate=29 September 2019|author= Not listed|publisher= [[National Institute of Korean History]]|language=en}}</ref> == Uses == In the case of these coins, "charm" in this context is a catchall term for coin-shaped items which were not official (or counterfeit) money.<ref name="UCSB-Dr-Luke-Roberts-Charms">{{cite web|url= http://roberts.faculty.history.ucsb.edu/coins/Charms.html|title= Charms.|date=24 October 2003|accessdate=19 April 2020|work= Dr. Luke Roberts at the [[University of California, Santa Barbara|Department of History - University of California at Santa Barbara]] |language=en}}</ref> However, these numismatic objects were not all necessarily considered "magical" or "lucky", as some of these Chinese numismatic charms can be used as "[[mnemonic]] coins".<ref name="UCSB-Dr-Luke-Roberts-Charms"/> == Korean bird-worm seal script coin == During the Japanese colonisation of Korea from around the 1920s a usual Korean amulet appeared that bore an inscription written in [[bird-worm seal script]] that reads "水得女汝, 月於日明" if read clockwise, however multiple hypotheses have been proposed as to what the actual reading order is, the amulet attempts to teach its readers how to read [[Hanja|Chinese characters]] by using simple formulas like "氵+ 女 = 汝" and "月 + 日 = 明". Some Chinese and Japanese sources claim that this charm may have a hidden meaning and that the last four characters actually read "勿於日易" ([[McCune–Reischauer]]: ''Mul O Il I''; [[Revised Romanization of Korean|Revised Romanisation]]: ''Mul Eo Il I'') which would make it "勿 + 日 = 易" which could have a hidden meaning like "do not do business with Japan" which explains why it is written in such a rare and unusual script as opposed to the more common [[regular script]] which was the preferred script of Korea for centuries.<ref>The Korean Coins and Banknotes Catalogue (大韓民國貨幣價格圖錄)</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://primaltrek.com/blog/2013/06/19/korean-charm-teaches-chinese/|title= Korean Charm Teaches Chinese |date=19 June 2013|accessdate=19 June 2018|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref><ref>The [[British Museum]] – [http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3416769&partId=1 Collection online - coin / charm]. Museum number: 1974,0509.31. Diameter: 36.5 millimetres. Weight: 13.07 grammes. Retrieved: 19 June 2018.</ref> Its reverse inscription reads "寸得冠守絲負工紅" ([[McCune–Reischauer]]: ''Ch'on Tuk Kwan Su Sa Pu Kong Hong''; [[Revised Romanization of Korean|Revised Romanisation]]: ''Chon Deuk Gwan Su Sa Bu Gong Hong'') == Korean numismatic chatelaines == [[File:91619 SMVK EM objekt 1258156 (2).jpg|thumb|right|A Korean numismatic chatelaine on display at the [[Museum of Ethnography, Sweden]].]] '''Korean numismatic chatelaines''' are a type of Korean numismatic charm that are characterised by the fact that they resemble a [[Chatelaine (chain)|chatelaine]] often with other Korean coin charms and amulets strung to it, and are usually fully embellished with tassels, ribbons and Korean ''Sangpyeong Tongbo'' mun coins. A frequent design of these chatelaines is to have the [[Hanja]] character "壽" (longevity), other common decorations on Korean numismatic chatelaines include images of Children, five [[bat]]s symbolising the [[five blessings]], [[Chinese guardian lions|haetae]], and birds.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://primaltrek.com/blog/2011/06/29/old-korean-charm/|title= Old Korean Charm.|date=29 June 2011|accessdate=19 June 2018|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref> By the nineteenth century it had become customary for the wealthy families of Korea to tie amulets to much larger pieces similar to what in the [[western world]] is called a chatelaine. These Korean "chatelaines" were presented to brides on the day of her wedding. After the wedding was over they were kept hanging in the Women's quarters of the residence. In some cases hundreds of charms were tied together these "chatelaines", which is why they are often cast as open-work charms, others have lots of rings, while others will have a lot of holes for stringing drilled or cast in them. It was also not uncommon for Korean families to tie these numismatic charms together without the "chatelaine". As the ribbons of these Korean numismatic chatelaines are brittle and break easily it is not uncommon for modern coin and exonumia dealers to remove all amulets and talismans and sell them separately which is why these objects have become even rarer in the modern era.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://charm.ru/library/chatelaine.shtml|title= Korean Chatelaine.|date=22 May 1999|accessdate=19 June 2018|work= Vladimir Belyaev and Don Pfeifer (Charm.ru - Chinese Coinage Website).|language=en}}</ref> == Marriage charms == A design of [[China|Chinese]], [[Korea]]n, and [[Vietnam]]ese marriage amulets display a pair of [[fish]] on one side and the inscription Eo ssang (魚双, "Pair of Fish") on the other side.<ref name="CraigGreenbaumVietnameseAmulets">{{cite web|url= https://www.zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=87111|title= Amulets of Viet Nam (Bùa Việt-Nam - 越南符銭).|date=2006|accessdate=31 March 2020|author= Craig Greenbaum|language=en}}</ref>{{Sfn|Greenbaum|2006|p=104}} In various Oriental cultures fish are associated with plenty and abundance.{{Sfn|Greenbaum|2006|p=105}} Fish are furthermore noted for their prolific ability to reproduce and that when they swim that this was in joy and are therefore associated with a happy and harmonious marriage.{{Sfn|Greenbaum|2006|p=105}} In [[Feng Shui]], a pair of fish are associated with conjugal bliss and the joys of being in a matrimonial union.{{Sfn|Greenbaum|2006|p=105}} "Song of Unending Sorrow" charms, or ''"Song of Unending Regret" charms'', are a common type of marriage coin charm, that might be Chinese, Japanese, Korean [[Taiwanese numismatic charm|Taiwanese]], or Vietnamese in origin, that depict part of the 9th century poem ''[[Chang hen ge (poem)|Chang hen ge]]'' written by [[Bai Juyi]].<ref name="Primaltrek-Song-of-Unending-Sorrow-Charms">{{cite web|url= http://primaltrek.com/blog/2011/05/06/song-of-unending-sorrow-charm/ |title= "Song of Unending Sorrow" Charm.|date=6 May 2011|accessdate=18 May 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)}}</ref><ref name="Jibi-Sex-Coins">{{cite web|url= http://www.jibi.net/News/qbqbcx/8_16_40_545.html|title= 透过秘戏钱看古代性文化（宋康年）.|date=9 February 2020|accessdate=18 May 2020|author= Song Kangnian (宋康年)|publisher= Jibi|language=zh-cn}}</ref> "Song of Unending Sorrow" charms display four heterosexual couples having sex in various positions (or they are supposed to represent one couple having in four different positions) in the area surrounding the square centre hole of the coin.<ref name="Primaltrek-Song-of-Unending-Sorrow-Charms"/> Surrounding the couples having sex are the [[Hanzi|Chinese characters]] representing the [[spring]] (春), [[wind]] (風), [[peach]]es (桃), and [[plum]]s (李), which is a reference to the first four characters of a line from the ''Chang hen ge'' poem which translates into [[English language|English]] as "Gone were the breezy spring days when the peach and plum trees were in bloom" in reference to the death of [[Yang Guifei]].<ref name="Primaltrek-Song-of-Unending-Sorrow-Charms"/> == Other categories of Korean numismatic charms == * [[Open-work charm]] == References == {{Reflist}} == Sources == {{Commons category|Korean numismatic charms}} * Wybrand op den Velde and David Hartill (12 November 2013) ''Cast Korean Coins and Charms''. New Generation Publishing. {{ISBN|978-0755215942}}. {{Asian numismatic charms}} {{Korean cash coin}} [[:Category:Asian numismatic charms]] .

Standard reference templates[edit]

April 2020.
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  • <ref name="Primaltrek">{{cite web|url= |title=.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate= April 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref>
March 2020.
  • <ref name="">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= March 2020|author= |publisher= |language=en}}</ref>
  • <ref name="Primaltrek">{{cite web|url= |title=.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate= March 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref>
February 2020.
  • <ref name="">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= February 2020|author= |publisher= |language=en}}</ref>
  • <ref name="Primaltrek">{{cite web|url= |title=.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate= February 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref>
January 2020.
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December 2019.
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To use[edit]

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    • <ref name="LondonSchoolOfEconomicsXunYan"/>
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