Exquisite B & W Costume Jewerly

Exquisite B & W Costume Jewerly
Exhibited at Holland Days in Malacca

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Is Melaka Tin Money, A Charm, or Religious Offerings ?

Joe Cribb commented that : “…….The coin shape of the magic coins is not fortuitous, but is an intentional reference to the function of the magic coin as offering, charm or ritual implement. It refers to the role of currency as an expression of relationships. The most prominent relationship for currency in the present day appears to be economic, but the underlying relationship is a social one and it is this aspect to which the magic coins refer….”

Joe further expressed his view “……Coinness of the magic coins was therefore a means of expressing a relationship. In the same way that it was deemed appropriate for currency to be a suitable form of offering to a temple, so magic coins needed to retain their coin-like attributes in order for them to express the relationship between their owner and the spirit world….”
MAM would like to draw the attention of Joe Cribb, also Covarrubias and Hobart that most of the copper cash coins of China, from Han Dynasty to Qin Dynasty, especially Song and Ming Dynasty one, are commonly used as one of the important tool to make those “ Money Sword” ( a kind of ritual instrument for Taoism and folk religious of local people in Mainland China, also found commonly practiced in ASEAN Chinese-based, Taoism-related religious communities, as Ghost Buster, to exorcise, anti-devil for personal protection).

Also many of the China-minted and issued copper cash coins of Han-Song-Ming-Qin Dynasty be applied for common use in Feng-shui and fortune-teller, as part of their ritual ceremony.

No comments: