Korea Charm, Yin / Yang & Twins - 1850 / 1910

This Korean amulet is dated between 1850 and 1910. The obverse features a representation of twins side by side. The reverse displays three and four joined stars, with a Yin and Yang symbol at the centre.

These objects, straddling 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 batches 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 progressive annexation of the country by Japan in 1910. In this context of instability, these protective objects held heightened symbolic importance among the civilian population.