Lot 4450

Description

China, Chou dynasty, Spring and Autumn period, c.600-400 B.C., needle tip knives, one with character Ji, (12.78 g), 150mm long, (Hartill 4.10) another (11.61 g), 142mm long, type with 2 x half arrows at each end, (Hartill -). Both with green encrustation otherwise fine. (2)

Ex Patrick J. O'Rourke Collection.

Needle type knife money was unknown until 1932 when a hoard was unearthed at Chengde in Hebei Province. Some other later hoards have also been found in this area. Probably produced for trade between the Chinese and the Xiongnu (Huns) who occup[ied the northern area at that time. Many different types noted Hartill describes 5 types.