Watch List notes:

NGUYEN DYNASTY (ANNAM): gilt weld religious amulets (30.04g), Sylvester-, 69 x 44mm & 32 mm, in the shape of a kim khánh medal & a phi long-type kim tiên medal, the former featuring on both sides the Chu Nom characters tu phu quan hoang ("Princes of the Four Palaces"), flanked by two dragons flying among clouds & facing a flaming pearl, the latter with the same characters around a flaming pearl on obverse, and a flying dragon on reverse, the two amulets strung together with rings for suspension, and attached with butterfly-shaped tassels with five beaded multicolored braids, Unc, ex John Sylvester Jr. Collection. This particular example, likely a private issue, imitates the khánh & tiên medals awarded to the emperor and important mandarins, who were often photographed wearing both medals in the same manner. The inscriptions, however, point to an object of religious significance. The Four Mother Goddesses are important deities in the traditional Vietnamese religion of Tu Phu ("Four Palaces") and its worship of Dao Mau, the supreme Mother Goddess. The Four Palaces refer to the four realms, i.e., Heaven, Mountains, Water, and Earth, each ruled by a Mother Goddess. The Ten Princes are subordinate deities whose earthly incarnations are associated with historical and legendary heroes.

Estimate: 300-400 USD