An Excavated Shoe Sycee
with Illegible Inscriptions

Stephen Tai
Oct, 17, 1998

Inscription:

- Da ? Hong
Dimensions: 48(L) x 29(W) x 20(H)
Weight: 126 g (3.5 Taels)

This shoe sycee is thoroughly covered with rust, showing that it should have been buried under ground for a long time before being excavated.
Its two ends were bent inward by someone during its journey of circulation, but we still may judge from its overall features to know that it is of Late Ming - Early Ching pattern.
Its inscriptions have 3 characters: ? (Da ? Hong), the 2^nd one is illegible. The entire meaning of the inscriptions is not clear.
Instead of (Kai Shu - The Pattern Script) as inscribed or engraved on most of Chinese sycee, the 3 characters are inscribed in (Li Shu - The Seal Script), which have made this sycee very unusual.