Lot 115: Two Items: A Mid-20th Century Chinese Wooden Abacus and Instruction Manual
A vintage Chinese wooden abacus (suanpan) accompanied by its original instructional booklet. The abacus is constructed with a dark-stained wooden rectangular frame containing thirteen vertical rods. It features a traditional 2/5 configuration, with two wooden beads in the upper deck and five beads in the lower deck of each column. The accompanying softcover manual is titled HOW TO USE THE CHINESE ABACUS and was published by the Swindon Book Company, located at 13-15 Lock Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong. The cover of the manual displays a printed diagram of a suanpan and red decorative borders.
Condition report:
Both pieces exhibit signs of age and use. The wooden abacus frame shows surface dust, minor scuffs, and a small orange adhesive price label on the lower right corner. The instruction manual shows significant yellowing to the paper, minor staining, and creasing to the edges and corners consistent with its vintage.
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