Antique Chinese Civil Service Examination Basket (kao lan), a traditional rectangular bamboo basket with hinged lid and a pinned overhead handle for carrying, The flat panel lid has five brass chrysanthemum blossom boss escutcheons and similarly shaped pins on each handle pivot point. The front clasp with lappet shaped hasp. The base supported by two iron pins for extra support of heavy contents. Complete with  fitted interior woven tray. Black inked  running script on base. This basket type was the regulation size container allowed to accompany the prospective candidate into the Qing dynasty civil service examinations. The contents would be ink, paper, brushes, ink stone, etc.

Overall: 11 in. high x 12 in. wide x 7-1/2 in. deep (28x30x19cm).
2 lbs. 13 oz. (1278g.)
Circa 1875. 

Provenance:

with Honeychurch Antiques, Seattle 1988

John Carlson, Seattle

For similar examples see: 

Field Museum, Anthropological Collections, Cat. no. 126200.

Berthold Laufer, Chinese Baskets, 1925, plate XXVI.