CHINA: AE charm (21.77g), Semans-396 var., 50mm openwork flower type, mixed floral design, VF, ex Jürgen M. Wilmes 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.
