Korea Charm, Blessing & Twins - 1850 / 1910

This Korean amulet is dated between 1850 and 1910. The obverse features a depiction of twins side by side. The reverse bears blessing inscriptions (????????????), following an iconographic tradition specific to amulets of this period.

These objects, sitting at the boundary between coin and talisman, were worn or kept as protection against evil spirits and to attract prosperity. Twins, in East Asian symbolism, are associated with fertility, family harmony, and the continuity of lineage. These amulets circulated widely among the population, often produced by hand or in small series by local workshops, outside of official monetary minting.

The period from 1850 to 1910 corresponds to a time of major political upheaval in Korea, marked by the end of the Joseon Kingdom and the gradual annexation of the country by Japan in 1910. In this context of instability, these protective objects held heightened symbolic importance among the civilian population.