Gilt silver ‘Occupation’ amulet showing several objects on a ‘woven bamboo’ sieve. For the background story on the use of such sieves see Quick Find 0289 & 3285. Depicted on this particular example are a ruler, scales, a mirror, something which looks like a sword (soldier) and a book. The book on this talisman has the title ‘Tongshu’ which was a concise encyclopaedia written by the philosopher Zhou Dunyi (1017 – 1073). Occupation or Profession amulets such as this one were sewn on clothing to bring good fortune to the career and life of their owners. In the centre a mirror on a stand is depicted which symbolizes ‘together’ and is also known to frighten off evil spirits. The amulet was machine-made and dates from the Republic Period (1912 – 1947). Diameter 2.2 cm. Depth 0.2 cm.