China - Charms. CHINA: AR charm (27.15g), CCH-1941, 54mm, twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac, zi chou yin mao chen si wu wei shen you xu hai around // the Big Dipper constellation above the circular hole, with auspicious cloud (xiangyun) below; the xuanwu (one of the Four Divine Creatures) are below the circular hole, which is a tortoise entwined by a snake that eventually evolved into the Daoist warrior god Zhenwu and to the left is a crane which represents longevity, small natural flan crack, VF, ex Dr. Axel Wahlstedt Collection. One interpretation of the theme of this charm is that it depicts the two sage kings Yao and Shun. Another interpretation is that these are two "immortals." And another interpretation is the scene is actually Lao Zi (Lao Tzu), the founding philosopher of Taoism, meeting with Zhang Daoling, the founder of the first Taoist religious sect which was known as the "Five Bushels of Rice" (Wudou Mi Dao). Likely cast in the late Song dynasty.
