Upon closer inspection, what appears to be an image of a woman in traditional Chinese dress is actually a hand-cut postcard made up entirely of cut-up monetary currency (the word, "postage" appears across her feet). Cowry shells are the earliest known form of currency in Central China 3,000 to 4,500 years ago. Bronzed shells were found in Ruins of Yin, the old capital of Shang Dynasty (BC 1500-1046 BC) and Bronze was the universal currency since the Zhou Dynasty.
During the Warring States Period from the 5th century until 221 BC, bronze objects (used coins shaped like knives -"dao" -or spades -"bu") were used as currency; the Chu used money in the forms of "ant's noses" (yibi). As part of the Unification of China, Qin Shi Huang (260 BC -210 BC) introduced a national round, copper coin with a square hole (the "Han") which remained until the 20th Century.
A nominal thousand copper coins was traditionally strung on a piece of string due to its low value. |
