A RARE CHINESE EASTERN HAN DYNASTY STONE TOAD MONEY TREE BASE. An extremely rare toad-shaped pedestal, or base, for ...

A RARE CHINESE EASTERN HAN DYNASTY STONE TOAD MONEY TREE BASE. An extremely rare toad-shaped pedestal, or base, for the legendary coin-shedding “money tree”. The money tree itself would comprise a bronze trunk, or pole, to which were attached finely-cast bronze branches, the leaves of which would depict mythical animals and beings as well as coins. The bronze trunk would be inserted into its base. Although several money tree bases are known to have survived, the bronze trees are usually only found in fragments, although there are a handful of complete examples to be found in Chinese museums. Most known money tree bases are made of moulded pottery and can take various forms, again usually depicting various mythical creatures. Stone money tree bases are much rarer than pottery examples. This particular example is in the form of a toad. It sits with head raised very slightly. There are faint traces of red pigment to the eyes and mouth. In its back is the hole into which was placed the trunk of the money tree.
Length 36 cm (14 inches), height 20 cm (8 inches), weight 28.5 kg (63 lbs).
Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25 – 220).
From a Sussex collection, acquired in 1995.
For more information about money trees, refer to the British Museum book "Mysteries of Ancient China". The only reference we can find to a stone money tree base, that also happens to be in the form of a toad, is in the 1998 Peoples Fine Arts Publishing House (Beijing) book, "The Great Treasury of Chinese Fine Arts, Sculpture 2, Sculpture of the Qin and Han Dynasties".