Product Description

Shaanxi province museum quality translucent greyish jade sheep head figure commander’s tally carving. This is a two piece lot.

Brown and russet inclusions and veins.

Size: 5.5 x 5.5 cm (both together), 3.25 cm high.

Hu-fu (tally):

Details of Tallies is found in the ‘Zhou Li’, which refers to the tallies of jade, bamboo, wood, metal, horn etc. And mentions the shapes of tiger, human, dragon, seal etc. were used as a proof of authorisation of a person carry it. In ancient china the two-piece tiger tallies were used by a king or emperor to command and dispatch the army in the war front. The right piece was retained in the central government while the left piece was issued to the local officials or commanders. If someone wanted to dispatch the troops from a certain area, he had to show the right piece of the tiger tally in order to obtain authorization; both pieces of the tally had to match each other, then only the desired action was taken. The word hu-fu first appears in the biography of Hsin-Ling in the records of the grand historian, which tells the story of the stealing of a tiger tally to relieve the state of Zhao. During the Warring States period this kind of fu was changed from jade to bronze.