This oval Japanese coin is taller than it is wide. It is made of a copper alloy, which has been gilded. There are horizontal rows of narrow striped impressions across the surface of the coin. There are four identical circular stamps with a floral design, one near the center of each edge of the coin. Extending vertically on the surface of the coin, and over the circular stamp at the top, are Japanese characters painted in black. Toward the bottom of the coin a character appears to have legs, which extend to the left and right of the circular stamp at the bottom.
Japanese
Man'en ōban (ten ryo coin),
1860
Gilded copper alloy, with painted characters
,
14 cm (5 1/2 in.)
Object details
Accession number
M18e81
Primary Creator
Japanese
Full title
Man'en ōban (ten ryo coin)
Creation Date
1860
Provenance
Entered Isabella Stewart Gardner’s collection at an unknown date.
Dimensions
14 cm (5 1/2 in.)
Display Media
Gilded copper alloy, with painted characters
Web Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.
Permanent Gallery Location
Little Salon
Bibliography
Alan Chong and Noriko Murai. Journeys East: Isabella Stewart Gardner and Asia. Exh. cat. (Boston: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 2009), pp. 417-418, fig. 20, no. 14. (as Japanese, dated 1860)
Rights and reproductions
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Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.