Large Lucky Fang Chuan Turtle

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Large lucky fang chuan turtle, a finely sculpted turtle in whie bronze, of a hefty weight, with a warm, silvery … Read more Large lucky fang chuan turtle, a finely sculpted turtle in whie bronze, of a hefty weight, with a warm, silvery finish accented with grays and umber hues. The shell is covered with over sixty cash coins. The underside of the shell has a finely carved, Taoist, Yin Yang symbol. Circa mid century or earlier.

Fang Chuan: cash coins with a square hole. In imperial China cash coins were used for fortune telling, or divination, this would be done by first lighting incense to the effigy of a Chinese deity, and then casting three cash coins into a tortoise shell. The Chinese fortune telling process using cash coins involved the fortune teller counting the number of coins lying on their obverse or reverse sides, and how these coins scratched the shell, this process was repeated three or six times. After this a very intricate system based on the position of the coins with Bagua, and the five elements was used for divination.

turtle symbol: Longevity and Immortality,
The turtle's shell and body are often seen as a microcosm of the universe, with the shell representing the heavens and the flat underside representing the earth.
The turtle's hard shell provides a natural form of protection, and this is extended to the symbolic meaning of stability and security.
In Feng Shui, turtles are believed to attract wealth and good luck.
Black Tortoise (Xuan Wu): The Black Tortoise is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations, representing the north and associated with endurance, strength, and longevity.
Taoism: In Taoism, the turtle is a symbol of the Great Triad (earth, humankind, and heaven).
Mythology: Turtles appear in various Chinese myths and legends, often depicted as wise and powerful creatures. See less