Asian Abacus

Missing beads but for $1 not bad.
I see the most popular barnd is Lotus-flower. Is this from the same period as their pieces or older/newer?

 

A nice looking handmade piece.... Would look great on a CFO's office wall, with a few other financial implements etc.

 

That puppy is old, or meant to look older than dirt. I agree, it would make a great display piece either in an office or in the home of someone into Chinese antiques.

 

That one is typical of those sold to tourists in Hong Kong and probably mainland China too. I was happy to have bought one there in 1972, and if I still had it, it would look like the one pictured or worse. One clue to age are the staples used to hold the middle part together. I don't know for sure but I'm thinking that type staple wasn't in general use until relatively recently, and isn't durable enough to hold together an abacus that's in daily use. If it was a piece made to be used in the marketplace, the beads would show wear from fingers.

 

Which staple your are talking about? There only nails on this piece.
How does a wear from fingers on wooden beads look like?