Elegant ornate antique Chinese traveling "TROUSSE" Knife Chopsticks Set. This is one of the most intricately crafted sets I have seen. The hand carvings include dragons, stags, owls and pheasant. Beautifully ornate with coral and stones. Some ornaments are missing, it looks like there should be another brass collar at the top of the scabbard. One of a kind. Priced to consider the short falls .

Trousse’ is a French word, which variously means “kit”, “case” or a type of compartmentalised container, used for storing implements, tools or utensils required for a specific task. This is a chopstick trousse, and its task is…eating!

Chopstick trousses were created back in the 1700s in northern China. Their use was encouraged after a law was passed by the Qianlong Emperor, which decreed that all Manchu-Chinese had to carry around a pair of chopsticks, and a knife, with which to eat their food. Manchurian and Mongolian dining habits and styles meant that a knife was an essential part of one’s eating utensils, since the knife would be used to slice or cut up one’s meat. The passing of this law was to ensure the preservation of Manchurian culture, since Manchus were a minority elite, ruling over the much larger Han Chinese population at the time

This extremely ornate set is alive with images of lions,  cranes,  dragons, owls, deer and spirits. It has not been examined by an expert so I don't know the age, materials,  origin or maker. There aren't any maker's marks that I can see. It is missing five stones. There is a shiny spot that indicates it was protectedby an overlay piece that is missing now, looks like brass from that spot. It is a lovely piece that would make an excellent gift for so many different people.  Very cool hanging art, definitely a conversation starter. Beautiful and elegant.  Free shipping,  thank you for considering my item.