Chinese Traveling Dining Trousse Set with Brass and Scrimshaw Bone circa 1900

Description

An expertly carved and intricately decorated traveling dining set with brass mounts and four implements. The decoration is very fine with a scholar in the mountains surrounded by floral motifs.
Four rounded creamy bone pieces have been gathered and attached with brass bands in four places, to make a container to hold eating utensils. The top band has an attachment for a cord. This attachment extends to the next band. The set has a  brown silk ribbon with embroidered blue and white flowers attached from a brass ring. A brass strip travels the entire length to attach the fitted brass rings. There are six holes in the brass mounted top to hold implements. There is a bone handled knife, one bone chopstick, one bone handled metal pick, and one small rounded bone chopstick. The knife handle is incised with designs of flowers and rocks. There are wooden inserts in the center to hold the implements in place. This insert shows in the open base. The bone pieces have a worn very smooth feel.
MEASUREMENTS
13 ½” (34.3 cm) long overall. 8 ¾” (22.2 cm) for just the holder. Weighs 6.8 oz (190 g)
CONDITION
One bone piece has a fine crack near the base.  It shows black and may have been there in the beginning because the ink has permeated it just like the incised designs. The incised designs near the top and middle are faint from the piece being used and handled. The designs near the base are darker. The cord might have been a loop but is now cut and slightly frayed at the ends. The mount at the top has glue on the edge, possibly from reattachment. Some of the glue has dripped on the top of the bone pieces. It is missing one chopstick and two other implements. The bottom would have originally had a brass fitting covering it, but it is now missing. It does have a nice aged look.
A work of the scrimshaw artist with fine detail in the designs. It would be a nice addition to a collection.
ITEM
: A-2468
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