Japanese Trading Plate?

[Hedgetron]

Hello all,

Yesterday, 15/6/2014, I visited a car boot sale (if you're not familiar with it, then these are just public run markets selling off normally second hand items) and picked up three interesting items. Two of them I've got a pretty good idea what they are but one has me incredibly intrigued

As you can hopefully see from the attachment I have a small metal plate in comparison to a British Penny. The colour is silver and I'd say it's about 1mm thick, there are Japanese characters at the top and either side of a figure (a man I believe) posing with a sword. The pattern and design is the same on the other side and there are no visible characteristics, such as hallmarks, anywhere.

There are holes at the top and bottom suggesting someone had it mounted or maybe it was mounted at some point? The seller had at least one other which was the same size, weight and colour, but with the Chinese Zodiac.

A woman at the stall I bought it from said she collected them and that they were Japanese silver trading cards.


Any ideas?

Thanks in advance for reading.

 

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[gazmuth]

I lived in Asia for several years long ago, but I remember seeing items such as your placard dangling from the various lamps, with a silk thread tassel hanging from the bottom, and a string leading up to the bottom of the silk hanging lamp from the top. They would twist and turn in the gentle breeze, and were ornaments. The only trading cards I have seen over there in that area that were metal were of Pokemon origin, which this definitely is not a Pokemon card! The script is Katakana, which can be either Japanese hiragana or Chinese, and no, unfortunately, my language remembrance is too rusty to know what it says. But a lot of the old lamps were glass paneled and had things like that hanging off the bottom, and the lamps hung from the ceiling or from a eave outside. Rare find, even from a garage sale in this part of the country. I have a couple of the old lamps, which you would put a candle inside of, here at my house, for I loved the Asian culture. Thank you for sharing your find with us!

 

[Yang Hao]

I know this is an old post but the item in the photo is Chinese and is something a chinese person would put on his or her house door (you can see the screw holes at the top and bottom).

The Chinese characters are in traditional form and the guy in the middle is called Zhong Kui.

Zhong Kui is a deity that supposed to be a chaser of demons. His picture is used to be pasted as charms at the entrance of houses to ward of evil influences.

If you want I can translate all of the chinese on the door plate.

Looks really cool.

 

[Got_4by4]

I know this is an old post but the item in the photo is Chinese and is something a chinese person would put on his or her house door (you can see the screw holes at the top and bottom).

The Chinese characters are in traditional form and the guy in the middle is called Zhong Kui.

Zhong Kui is a deity that supposed to be a chaser of demons. His picture is used to be pasted as charms at the entrance of houses to ward of evil influences.

If you want I can translate all of the chinese on the door plate.

Looks really cool.

Thank you for your offer to translate! Welcome to TreasureNet and hope you have many contributions, and friends in the future.
Thanks Again!

 

[Yang Hao]

Thanks. I enjoy reading this forum very much and glad to help.

 

[bigfoot1]

welcome yang

we very often are in need of your help here at the,"what is it"forum.I hope you enjoy helping out around here weather is asian related or not.

cheers..

 

[Yang Hao]

this site is great fun I enjoy seeing the treasures forum members find。恭喜你发财。gong xi ni fa cai.Wishing you happiness and prosperity.