
Juliette Hammer
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£3,000 - £5,000
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Specialist, Chinese Works of Art

Head of Chinese and Asian Art, London
十九世紀 白玉五銖錢
Provenance: Presented to General Gordon of Khartoum (1833-1885) by the Chinese Government and ex Collection K.Woolcombe-Boyce (according to a hand-written note)
來源: 由中國政府贈予Gordon of Khartoum將軍(1833-1885)
K. Woolcombe-Boyce舊藏(據手寫筆記)
General Charles George Gordon (1833–1885), famously known as 'Chinese Gordon' before becoming 'Gordon of Khartoum', earned his nickname for his role in helping the Qing dynasty suppress the Taiping Rebellion (1850–1864). As a British officer, he commanded the 'Ever Victorious Army,' a force composed of Chinese and foreign soldiers, playing a crucial part in ending this conflict.
The inscription to one side reads wuzhu (五珠) meaning 'five zhu' which was a type of cash coin produced in the Han dynasty. The inscription to the reverse reads tianxia taiping (天下太平) which could be translated as 'the whole world at peace.'
See a related jade wuzhu coin, Qing dynasty, in the Qing Court Collection, the Palace Museum, Taipei (acc.no.故玉004627N000000000).