A pair of incised jade pendants, Western Han dynasty | 西漢 玉剛卯嚴卯一對

An old Hong Kong family collection.

香港家族舊藏

Rectangular pendants such as the present pair were popular talismans in the Han dynasty. They are engraved on the sides with inscriptions believed to serve a protective function, driving away evil spirits and averting disasters. Traditionally made on the mao day of the first lunar month, they are referred to as gangmao and yanmao after the typical phrases at the beginning of the inscriptions. 

剛卯、嚴卯，呈長方柱狀，中多有隧孔以作穿繫佩帶，乃漢時厭勝之物。四面陰刻文字，言辭信有驅鬼避災之用，因一般製於正月卯日，首句常曰「正月剛卯」、「疾日嚴卯」，故名剛卯、嚴卯。