In China, older age was/is respected and valued... During the late Qing Dynasty, many wealthier Chinese used eyeglasses to appear older...sometimes clear glass lenses were used for those with good eyesight Personally, I never colored my hair before traveling to China.... This eyeglass case was carved from water buffalo horn...It has the original hand twisted string and a small movable stop.... and a few minor scratches from use and age

A Chinese Carved Buffalo Horn Guanyin. The seated figure well carved with flowing robes. Chinese 19thC. Height; 4 1/2" (11.3 cm). Condition; usual flaws in horn as on her back. Chips to the base and by her right foot

A pair of Chinese antique horn hooks with incised with a circular design.

Date: Early 19th C

Dimensions: 11.25"long X 5"

A pair of antique Chinese horn hooks incised with a circular design and floral cut out.

Date: Early 19th C

Dimensions: 9" long X 4.25"wide

This old Chinese Ethnic Minority inro is carved from animal horn and has 2 compartments. Each side is carved with a floral motif that is bordered with a key design. These symbols are especially meaningful to the Miao ethnic culture. The inro was worn suspended from the belt by a braided cord. It is a attractive ethnographic relic for the tribal arts collector. Condition is very good and the piece measures approximately 3.5" X 2

Height: 8.8 cm
Width: 6.8 cm
Depth: 2.7 cm

Exquisite carved antler seal of a Qilin or Kirin; seal to the base; looks to have been used extensively; good condition

DESCRIPTION: A large, ten pronged tortoise shell comb made for the European market (Victorian era, circa 1880-1890). The fashion of the day included large elaborate combs placed in upswept hair, and this one is a real beauty! The curved prongs and scalloped crown are from a single piece of shell which is mounted with three large round beads and two carved triangular designs. Very good condition with only a couple of tiny nits that are difficult to even see...

A detachable horn pipe with one silver and two brass mounts. The end of the pipe inlaid with a ivory. Comes with a fine inlaid Yixing stoneware pipe bowl. Length: 40 cm. Made in the 2nd half of the 19th century. Rare item.

Antique Chinese small carved horn seal with fudog, carved with poem about snow on mountain and the value of peace, characters are inset with dark green pigment, bottom is carved with seal, 19th century. Size: 2 3/4" high x 1 7/8" wide

Made from ox horn, and shaped into a perfectly balanced shoehorn, this antique Chinese folk art artifact serves in both form and function. There is a delicately carved design on the back. The handle part of the horn has eyes carved so that the piece takes the shape of an animal and there is a hole carved so that the shoehorn can be hung from a cord. I vaguely remember hearing that the Chinese inventing the shoehorn, but have not been able to verify this as historic fact.