Featured Antique Tortoiseshell Eating Trousse

Whoopee!!

After much, much, muchly patience, of the waiting kind, I finally got me a trousse!

Sadly, the trousse came without its original pair of chopsticks - only the knife was in residence, at time of purchase. However - the slot for the chopsticks perfectly fitted my set of silver traveling chopsticks!!

As you can see from the photos, they fit down the full length of the slot, with enough of the sticks still...uh...sticking...out the top, to enable easy removal, for eating!

So I arranged a ceremony, and they were duly married...



Apart from a slight glue-job, and cleaning and sharpening the knife, it's all in perfect condition!

I have just ONE question.

At the back of the trousse, there is a ring. And at the bottom, a sort of rectangular, brass bracket.

What's is they's for?? Presumably, a cord or strap of some kind, was passed through these, for attachment - presumably to someone's clothing. But I can't figure out how this went together.

 

yes the ring held a chain or strap that went thru or around a belt.
The metal hardware at the bottom is helping to hold the case in place.

Can you tell what the shell looking material is ?

 

Hey Komo!

I won the trousse at auction. The auctioneer said it was tortoise-shell.

 

And that's what it looks like........NICE WIN, @Shangas!!!!

 

Very pretty, Shangas!

 

I've never heard these referred to as a trousse, that's a new one on me.

Always called these chopstick cases!
(probably because I'm 鬼佬)

 

And that may be true !
but to my eye the look is a little off....



It's more blotchy than swirly ...if that makes sense.
Still I don't know every shell out there...... & you have it in hand.



You see the two above.....the dark blotches meld into an allover design, whereas the one below , like yours has large dark patches on a light background that don't spread out .....



this one is described as...........
"This one is a good quality one. The slender blade is 5 inches long. The grip and the scabbard are wood covered with "tortoise shell like material" with bone pommel cover. Chopsticks are bone. Total length 11 inches. Very good condition.
( courtesy , Oriental - Arms)

So, while I could be mistaken, my findings & my eye lead me to believe that yours is not genuine tortoise shell.

Still, while yours maybe missing a metal band in the center to help secure the case....it's a legit Chinese Trousse...and very nice !!

INHO....

 

Well, then fine, it isn't tortoiseshell, just imitation tortoiseshell. for all I know, it could be an entirely fake fantasy piece. But it is what I want it to be, and that's what I care about. Auctioneers aren't always accurate.

For one thing, they said it was Japanese. I have no idea how the hell they arrived at that conclusion, but they did.

 

I think because , as I've noticed....many actual tortoise shell trousses are identified as coming from Japan.

I'm sorry you don't like my take on your item..... & that I've upset you.
I'll refrain from commenting on any future items you may wish to display here.

But know this ...

... if you're not ready or willing to hear truthful opinions about the items you have... without having a hissy fit because it's not what you wanted to hear..

well that's just unbecoming ..on so many levels !

 

I said, if it isn't real, then it isn't real. That's all there is to it. Nothing to be done. It's still what it is, and I still like it because of it. But I still don't understand the Japanese connection - so far as I know, nothing like this was ever made in Japan. I'm only going by what I read when I bought it. I never said it was accurate.

 

It is absolutely real tortoiseshell. The pattern is very distinct and comes from the outer radiation of the shell plate. No question about it, I've handled and restored mountains of tortoiseshell and can recognize it instantly in most cases.

No need for concern - REAL.

 

What made you think my tortoise shell was real, then? What's the indicators?

 

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/75207220_a-chinese-tortoise-shell-brush-pot

I guess it's possible...but I remain skeptical ...

 

It looks real to me too. It looks too similar in style to the other couple of tortie cases shown, to be different material. Makes no sense that it would have been faked back when it was fabricated. Plenty of turtles back then!

 

I'm afraid I can't teach you how to recognize real tortoiseshell over the internet, all I can suggest is that you begin your study of the material by purchasing some that you know to be real. When you have a known sample, examine the dissolution of colour at the edge of the transition from dark to light using a low powered loupe.
You will notice a powdery or granular appearance. This cannot be faked, other than by using colour Xerox prints of actual shell.

Back in the era when your case was made, the maker would not have had access to artificial shell ..and why would he/she bother? Tortoiseshell was both inexpensive, plentiful and the most versatile "plastic" material known, both in the east and the west.

 

Thanks, Blooey, that was exactly my point above, but you stated it far more eloquently and thoroughly

 

Same horse different jockey eh @antidiem

 

Thanks for the responses guys. What you say makes a lot of sense. I'm convinced it's real now.

That said, I have noticed that the knife doesn't have a pommel on the end of it. I expect that the pommel would originally have been bone (there is bone elsewhere on the knife) to match the rest of the decoration.

I have secured some bone, and I'm in the process of making a new pommel right now. Photos to follow once I'm done.

 

DONE!

The knife, without its bone pommel. I shoved a piece of bone up in there...


Sawed it off...


Then cut, shaped, filed, and glued on two more pieces...


Then, it was a lot of filing, polishing and more filing, to get the pieces to the right thickness and size. I wanted them to be the same thickness...


As the bone shank, on the other end of the handle: