Small silver lock with the text ‘protection from a hundred families’ (bai jia bao). When a child was about three months old, it was usually given a silver, gold or jade amulet in the shape of a lock in the hope that the lock would tie the child down to prevent abduction by evil spirits. In some areas of China money would be donated by a hundred families to purchase a silver lock and consequently the child would then have the protection of these hundred families. This is such a lock. It has an open back but is of very nice quality. The lock is marked Fu Quan ( 福泉) which may have been the silversmith or the retailer. It dates from the late Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1912). Width 3.8 cm. Height 3.0 cm. Depth 0.7 cm. Weight 10.0 grams.