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Looks to me like an early-to-mid 20th C. Chinese brass smoking tray. I recognize the four auspicious beings: the butterfly, bat, deer, and crane. And I think I see the knot of eternity and longevity symbols. The scholar dude appears to be holding a tall ice-cream sundae, with straw.

I'd like to know what the four written characters at the far left mean.

Thanks.

The characters read down as 己酉年刊 (Ji you nian kan), translatable as "Carved in the jiyou year". This is a cyclical date that probably equates to the year 1909 in the context of your brass tray, which has a traditional style of auspicious decoration.

Best regards,

Bill H.

Thanks for that (Bill and rat). I'll go with 1909 rather than 1969 or 1849.

I should have mentioned that it is 6" x 8.5" and quite heavy for its size (371gm). No writing or marks on the back. And it's been polished.

"Made in 1909", or 1969 or 1849, etc (cyclical calendar).

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