• TOURISM & CULTURE
  • ADVERTISEMENT

Latest News

  • Bhutan is the first country to receive the Government of India’s gift of the COVID vaccines
  • ‘DekhoApnaDesh’ Webinar on “Exploring Buddhist Circuit by Train”
  • Buddhist stupa in Kurukshetra
  • Japan Expands State Of Emergency as covid 19 cases rise
  • Buddhism contributes to Việt Nam’s socio-economic development
  • Home
  • ABOUT US
  • BUDDHIST HISTORY
    • BUDDHISM MESSAGES
    • Message by PM Narendra Modi
  • BUDDHIST CIRCUIT
  • BUDDHIST MONKS
  • MONASTRIES
  • BODH GAYA
  • MCLEOD GANJ

700-year-old Banknote Found Inside Chinese Buddhist Sculpture

Oct 21, 2016 developer3.matrixwebstudio BREAKING NEWS, TOP NEWS Comments Off on 700-year-old Banknote Found Inside Chinese Buddhist Sculpture


By Shyamal Sinha
unnamed
The wooden sculpture and banknote are to be exhibited in Melbourne, London, and Hong Kong. From cnn.com

Mossgreen is 100% Australian-owned and specialises in selling Single-Owner Collections comprising Fine Art, Australian Indigenous Art, Antiques and Collectables.

Collections often fetch much higher prices when kept together as a whole and Mossgreen has handled many of the most significant single-owner collections sold in Australia in recent years.

An Asian art specialist at an Australian auction house stumbled across a surprising discovery recently while inspecting a Buddhist wooden sculpture from 14th century China. Tucked away inside a cavity in the artifact was a crumpled piece of parchment that turned out to be a rare Ming dynasty (1368–1644) banknote—one of the earliest examples of printed currency in China.

The wooden bust, notable for its finely carved facial features, is believed to be of an arhat* (in Chinese aluohan [阿羅漢], often shortened to simply luohan [羅漢]). The auctioneers believe the sculpture predates the banknote and have listed the artifact as dating to the Jin or Yuan dynasties (13th–14th century). Specialists at the auction house believe a patron may have placed the banknote inside the sculpture while commissioning repairs an estimated 40–50 years after it was made.

“It was a thrilling moment,” said Ray Tregaskis, the head of Asian Art at Sydney-based Mossgreen auction house and art gallery, who discovered the banknote. “While it was not unusual for consecration items such as semi-precious stones or scrolls to be left within the base or on the back of a sculpture, the discovery of this rare Ming dynasty banknote is an exciting one and importantly, it verifies the date of the sculpture.” (Pursuitist)

2

The banknote, stamped with official red seals, originated during the reign of the Hongwu Emperor (r.1368–98). From cnn.com

The banknote is stamped with three official red seals and is dated 1370, during the reign of the Hongwu Emperor (r.1368–98). It also bears the inscriptions “Da Ming Tong Xing Bao Chao” and “Yi Guan.” As well as being “authorized the Department of Finance,” the bill bears an official warning to would-be fraudsters: “This banknote has the same function as coins. Those who use counterfeit banknotes will be beheaded; the whistle-blower will be rewarded 250 Liang silvers plus all the properties of the criminal. The third year of the Hongwu period.” (Pursuitist)

“It’s typical to find materials such as mantra rolls, relics, grains, incense, and semi-precious stones that have been placed inside gilt bronze sculptures by a monk or lama,” said Mossgreen Asian art specialist Luke Guan. “But we’ve never heard of anyone finding money inside a wooden sculpture before.” (CNN)

According to Guan, the bust was likely part of a series of sculptures—anywhere from 16 to 500—usually kept inside Buddhist temples. Both the wooden bust and the banknote are due to be auctioned later this year as part of a large collection of Asian art belonging to Australian businessman Raphy Star, who is reported to have acquired the sculpture from an antiques dealer in the 1990s.

3Specialists at the auction house believe a patron may have placed the banknote inside the sculpture while commissioning repairs. From cnn.com

“It is a fantastic piece of history which has a lot of mystery surrounding it,” said Mossgreen spokeswoman Nicole Kenning. “The vendor had no idea that the banknote was there. It is very exciting—our head of Asian art has been here for 40 years and has never discovered anything quite like it before.” (Express)

The sculpture and banknote will be exhibited in Melbourne from 21–23 October, in London from 3–6 November, and in Hong Kong from 24–27 November, before going to auction in Sydney in December.

* A perfected person who has gained insight into the true nature of existence and has achieved nirvana.

Share this...
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Email this to someone
email
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin

  • tweet
Terrorism was accorded 'centrality' at BRICS: India Brics summit 2016

Related articles
  • Bhutan is the first country to receive the Government of India’s gift of the COVID vaccines
    Bhutan is the first country to receive...

    Jan 20, 2021 Comments Off on Bhutan is the first country to receive the Government of India’s gift of the COVID vaccines

  • ‘DekhoApnaDesh’ Webinar on “Exploring Buddhist Circuit by Train”
    ‘DekhoApnaDesh’ Webinar on...

    Jan 18, 2021 Comments Off on ‘DekhoApnaDesh’ Webinar on “Exploring Buddhist Circuit by Train”

  • Buddhist stupa in Kurukshetra
    Buddhist stupa in Kurukshetra

    Jan 15, 2021 Comments Off on Buddhist stupa in Kurukshetra

  • Japan Expands State Of Emergency as covid 19 cases rise
    Japan Expands State Of Emergency as...

    Jan 14, 2021 Comments Off on Japan Expands State Of Emergency as covid 19 cases rise

More in this category
  • Bhutan is the first country to receive the Government of India’s gift of the COVID vaccines
    Bhutan is the first country to receive...

    Jan 20, 2021 Comments Off on Bhutan is the first country to receive the Government of India’s gift of the COVID vaccines

  • ‘DekhoApnaDesh’ Webinar on “Exploring Buddhist Circuit by Train”
    ‘DekhoApnaDesh’ Webinar on...

    Jan 18, 2021 Comments Off on ‘DekhoApnaDesh’ Webinar on “Exploring Buddhist Circuit by Train”

  • Buddhist stupa in Kurukshetra
    Buddhist stupa in Kurukshetra

    Jan 15, 2021 Comments Off on Buddhist stupa in Kurukshetra

  • Japan Expands State Of Emergency as covid 19 cases rise
    Japan Expands State Of Emergency as...

    Jan 14, 2021 Comments Off on Japan Expands State Of Emergency as covid 19 cases rise


VIDEO NEWS

WEEK IN VIDEO

BUDDHIST CUISINE

  • Buddhist Cuisine-5

    Buddhist Cuisine-5

    Aug 01, 2019
  • Buddhist Cuisine-4

    Buddhist Cuisine-4

    Aug 01, 2019
  • Buddhist Cuisine-3

    Buddhist Cuisine-3

    Aug 01, 2019
  • Buddhist Cuisine-2

    Buddhist Cuisine-2

    Aug 01, 2019
  • Buddhist Cuisine-1

    Buddhist Cuisine-1

    Aug 01, 2019

Mantra Om Mani Padme Hum

Intl Chanting Ceremony Bodhgaya 2019

gallery img (60)
gallery img (47)
gallery img (35)
gallery img (15)
gallery img (38)
gallery img (49)
gallery img (41)
gallery img (27)
gallery img (58)
gallery img (55)
gallery img (53)
gallery img (51)
gallery img (50)
gallery img (46)
gallery img (44)
gallery img (43)
gallery img (42)
gallery img (40)
gallery img (37)
gallery img (33)
gallery img (32)
gallery img (31)
gallery img (30)
gallery img (29)
gallery img (26)
gallery img (24)
gallery img (23)
gallery img (22)
gallery img (21)
gallery img (20)
gallery img (19)
gallery img (18)
gallery img (17)
gallery img (16)
gallery img (14)
gallery img (13)
gallery img (12)
gallery img (11)
gallery img (8)
gallery img (6)
gallery img (5)
gallery img (4)
gallery img (2)
gallery img (1)
gallery img (62)
gallery img (28)
DSC_0180
DSCF7503
DSCF7483
DSCF7475
DSC_0077
DSC_0130

GALLERY

  • Ven. Lama Lobzang -15 January 2016

    Ven. Lama Lobzang -15 January 2016

    Jan 16, 2016
  • Launch buddhisttimes.news at Greater Noida

    Launch buddhisttimes.news at Greater Noida

    Jan 16, 2016
  • Buddhism in Japan

    Buddhism in Japan

    Jan 15, 2016
  • Jan 09, 2016
  • Jan 09, 2016
  • Jan 09, 2016
  • Jan 09, 2016
  • Jan 09, 2016
  • Jan 09, 2016
  • Jan 09, 2016
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015

Weather

+39
°
C

+39°
+27°

Bodh Gaya
Saturday, 30

See 7-Day Forecast

NOTICE

  • Dr. Yeshi Dhonden, Former Personal Physician to the Dalai Lama, Dies
    Dr. Yeshi Dhonden, Former Personal Physician to the Dalai...

    Nov 27, 2019 Comments Off on Dr. Yeshi Dhonden, Former Personal Physician to the Dalai Lama, Dies

    By  Staff writer Dr. Yeshi Dhonden, 1927–2019....
  • Former Rigpa Head Sogyal Rinpoche Passes Away in Thailand
    Former Rigpa Head Sogyal Rinpoche Passes Away in Thailand

    Aug 29, 2019 Comments Off on Former Rigpa Head Sogyal Rinpoche Passes Away in Thailand

    By Staff Writer On behalf of all members of the...
  • Passing of World-renowned Scholar Jao Tsung-I Mourned
    Passing of World-renowned Scholar Jao Tsung-I Mourned

    Feb 07, 2018 Comments Off on Passing of World-renowned Scholar Jao Tsung-I Mourned

    By Staff Writer On behalf of all members of the...
  • Respected Tibetan Teacher Kyabje Gelek Rinpoche Dies
    Respected Tibetan Teacher Kyabje Gelek Rinpoche Dies

    Feb 17, 2017 Comments Off on Respected Tibetan Teacher Kyabje Gelek Rinpoche Dies

    Respected Tibetan Teacher Kyabje Gelek Rinpoche On behalf...
  • Condolence message on the demise of Ven. Anamaduwe Sri Dhammadassi NayakeThero
    Condolence message on the demise of Ven. Anamaduwe Sri...

    Jun 27, 2016 Comments Off on Condolence message on the demise of Ven. Anamaduwe Sri Dhammadassi NayakeThero

    Ven. Anamaduwe Sri Dhammadassi NayakeThero General...

Inauguration

  • Inauguration 7

    Inauguration 7

    Aug 01, 2019
  • Inauguration 6

    Inauguration 6

    Aug 01, 2019
  • Inauguration 5

    Inauguration 5

    Aug 01, 2019
  • Inauguration 4

    Inauguration 4

    Aug 01, 2019
  • Inauguration 3

    Inauguration 3

    Aug 01, 2019
  • Inauguration 2

    Inauguration 2

    Aug 01, 2019
Copyright budhisttimes.news 2019-20 | All Rights Reserved
Developed & Maintained By Shyamal Sinha Web Design Delhi Web Design Agency in Delhi Web Desinging Services in India Best Website Portfolio Creative Website Desinging Agency in Delhi Web Desinging Comapny India Custom Web Application Development Comapny Wordpress Website Designing Logo Desinging in Delhi Internet Marketing Company Mobile Application Development
  • TECH & SCIENCE
  • BUDDHIST ART/MUSIC
  • UPCOMING PROGRAM