19th century AD. A Daoist woodblock print on paper, 'T'u K'eh - The Protectors of the rural places (A collection of Divinities of many Types)', serving as a magical charm; mounted on card. 207 grams, 24.5 x 27cm (9 1/2 x 10 1/2"). Ex central London gallery; previously with the French Sinologist Manly P. Hall (1901-1990), Burbank, California, USA, c.1995; formerly with Paul Pelliot (1878-1926); accompanied by a detailed previously researched cataloguing sheet. Chinese magic charms have a long history, commencing in the second century with the earliest schools of Daoism, the Taiping dao and Wudoumi dao, which promoted their curative powers. Since then, different types of charms have proliferated (see Feng Zuozhe and Li Fuhua, Zhongguo minjian zongjiao shi, Taipei 1994, pp. 124-133"). Traditionally, the most efficient charms were either issued by or possessed the stamp of Zhang tianshi, the spiritual head of Daoism (the status tianshi, or godly teacher, is inherited through generations by the descendants of Zhang Ling, who founded the Wudoumi dao school"). This centralisation provided a unified official format for priests to use in their charms, which was often combined with local folklore and Buddhism to produce a great many variations. A typical charm consists of a drawing and some calligraphy in a running style, and contains names of deities, zodiacal symbols and other ‘made-up’ characters. Animal or human figures may be represented. [No Reserve]

Fine condition.