A red cord binds three pewter coins, representing heaven, earth and mankind, the union of which brings luck.

More amulet but never official currency, the auspiciousness attributed to the Zhengde Tongbao ‘lucky coin’ derives from the Chinese love of wordplay. Although the Zhengde Emperor did indeed occupy the throne from 1506 to 1522, no circulating coinage bearing his name was minted during his reign. However, coin-shaped charms bearing the characters for Zhengde Tongbao 正德通寶 were minted from the mid 1600s, the characters translated as ‘Coinage of True Virtue’ and thus bestowing them with auspicious aspects.

About the collection
The exoticism and lofty symbolism of oriental style, legacy of a millennia-old continuous civilisation, provides an opulent counterpoint to the restraint of contemporary aesthetics.