Oriental delights

 

Oriental delights

NorthsiderDave was writing about *Oriental collectibles the other day and I started thinking about ours. We haven’t got many and they’re of sentimental value only. I wouldn’t part with them. I wish I knew what happened to the tiny, embroidered shoes my father bought in China. I couldn’t believe that a grown woman could wear something so small. I wrote about foot-binding here.

The first treasure I have is a silver rickshaw condiments set that my father brought back from China for my mother. He was in the Royal Navy and visited many places which are now not accessible to most tourists.

This little set has never been used for condiments and was always out on display for anyone to look at. Children enjoyed rolling it back and forth. I remember playing with it as a child, and my children and grandchildren played with it, too, when it lived with my parents.

It must be at least one hundred years old now and showing its age. The large wheels are a little wobbly and the salt ‘bucket’ used to have a blue glass liner, but that disappeared a long time ago, after it came into my hands. The tiny silver spoon is still in the mustard pot, though.

I haven’t been able to find out much about it. It was probably made in the late 19^th or early 20^th century and was an example of Chinese export silverware. There is no maker’s mark or assay stamp on it.

It is very fiddly to clean so it isn’t handled very much these days, but I love it.

*Oriental: apparently, this term is now considered outdated and could cause offence, because it carries colonial connotations. It is more respectful to refer to ‘Asian’ or ‘East Asian.’ Soon, we shall not be able to say anything without upsetting someone, somewhere . . .