Item number: A113

Year: ND

Material: Bronze

Size: 26.39 x 26.41 mm

Weight: 6.7 g

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This coin appears to be a Japanese temple token used for offerings, although its exact date is uncertain. It adopts the typical square-holed coin shape of China. On the obverse side, there are four Chinese characters “Ko Shin Gong Yang” (support Koshin), which initially might suggest the casting year of the coin. However, when combined with the imagery of the “Three Wise Monkeys” on the reverse side, “Koshin” reflects a deeper folk belief.

According to the Taoist “Sanshi theory,” there are three malicious creatures, known as “Sanshi,” who report people’s wrongdoings to the celestial heavens, thus shortening their lifespans. To ward off the harm caused by these creatures, ancient people would hold “Keep Koshin” rituals on Koshin days, staying awake all night to prevent the creatures from reporting to heaven. While this religious ritual gradually declined in China in modern times, the “Sanshi theory” entered Japan from the Tang Dynasty and flourished there, blending with Buddhist and native Shinto beliefs to become an integral part of Japanese spirituality.

The reverse side of the coin features the iconic “Three Wise Monkeys,” which reflects a strong Japanese cultural motif. The monkey on the left covers its ears, the one on top covers its eyes, and the one on the right covers its mouth. This imagery originates from a dialogue between Confucius and his disciple Yan Hui, stating “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil, do no evil.”

Additionally, the Koshin faith in Japan is closely associated with the native Shinto belief in “Sarutahiko no kami,” equating monkeys with the deity Sarutahiko. This connection has made monkeys a common decorative motif in Japanese temples.

The most famous depiction of the “Three Wise Monkeys” in Japan is located at the Tōshō-gū shrine in Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture. Construction of this shrine began in AD 1617. Carved into the eaves of the stable building at the shrine are the three monkeys, representing the proverb from the Analects of Confucius. This shrine has become an important cultural and tourist attraction in Japan.

物件編號: A113

年代: ND

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 26.39 x 26.41 mm

重量: 6.7 g

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

這是一枚年代不明，疑似是日本用於供奉寺廟的花錢，外觀為中國典型的方孔錢形制。錢幣正面有「庚申供養」四個漢字，乍看之下「庚申」似乎反映錢幣的鑄造年份。然而跟背面的「三猿」圖像作結合，「庚申」反映更為深遠的民間信仰。根據道教「三屍說」論點，人體內存在三個向上天打小報告，會害人折壽名為「三屍」的妖怪們。古人為驅逐妖怪帶來的傷害會舉辦「守庚申」驅魔活動，即在庚申日之夜徹夜不眠，從而阻止妖怪上天報告。這一個宗教儀式進入近代在中國逐漸衰退，不過「三屍說」自唐朝傳入日本後，結合佛教和日本本土的神道教信仰在當地發揚光大。

錢幣背面「三猿像」反映濃厚的日本文化色彩，左邊的猴子閉上耳朵、上方的猴子遮住眼睛、右邊的猴子則摀住嘴巴。「三猿」出自孔子和弟子顏淵的對話，即「非禮勿視，非禮勿聽，非禮勿言，非禮勿動」典故。另外庚申信仰在日本一地，還跟本土神道教信仰的「猿田彥神」劃上等號，使猿猴成為日本寺廟常見的裝飾意象。

當前日本最為出名的「三猿像」，位於日本栃木縣的德川家廟「日光東照宮」，其建造時間落在公元1617年。這間寺廟的馬廄梁柱上，刻有反映上述《論語》典故的三隻猴子，成為日本重要的觀光資源。