Jiaobei Blocks or Fortune Blocks

Dublin Core

Title

Jiaobei Blocks or Fortune Blocks

Subject

Fortune Telling

Description


Jiaobei blocks, also known as moon blocks or fortune blocks are divination tools, typically made out of wood or bamboo originating in China. Each block is round on one side and flat on the other resembling a crescent shape. The blocks are used in pairs and are thrown in order to answer "yes" or "no" questions. Jiaobei blocks are often accompanied with fortune sticks when requesting answers from the gods. 

Check out the High Library for more information. 

Check out how to decode Jiaobei blocks below. 

Contributor

Elizabethtown College (Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, USA)
Dr. William V. Puffenberger

Rights

Elizabethtown College retains all intellectual property rights to this image including, but not limited to, digital rights and any derivative works. For permission for reproduction, please contact the College’s Administrative Assistant for Humanities.

Format

Two crescent moon shaped pieces of wood painted red in a very decorative green box.
In the box: 3.25 in X 4.5 in (8.3 cm X 11.4 cm)
Single fortune block: 3.5 in X 1.25 in (8.9 cm X 3.2 cm)

Type

Physical Object

Identifier

Puffenberger #52

Coverage

China