China - Charms. CHINA: AE charm (25.75g), 44mm, Xuan Wu Daoist curse charm, lei zou sha gui jiang jing / zhan yao chu xie yong bao / shen qing feng / tai shang lao jun ji ji zhi ling [God of Thunder (Lei) clear out and kill the ghosts and send down purity. Behead the demons, expel the evil and keep us eternally safe. Let this command from Lao Zi be executed quickly.] // Daoist magic writing at left, at right is the Daoist god Zhenwu, also known as the Perfected Warrior, Fine. During the Han Dynasty, Zhenwu was known as Xuanwu and was depicted as a tortoise encircled by a snake. This symbol represented the north direction. Over the centuries this symbol gradually evolved and by the Song Dynasty had developed into the very popular warrior god Zhenwu associated with healing and protection. This example was cast in the Qing Dynasty.
