We were offered the opportunity to sell some rare Chinese artifacts on the Internet to support our public oriented web publishing projects. We also know this could help expose the dense concrentration of antique dealers and shops in Northeast Ohio. We do not know the value of this Chinese tea tray gift but we have strong reason to suspect that it is also associated with an emperor of China.
Further research is underway and the bidding process is presently open.
More than 30 antique shops exist which has become a major attraction for antique shopping. I am sending you an old Chinese carved lacquer tea tray from old Peking, with my personal best wishes. When a guest comes, we Chinese invariably offer him tea in a cup with a lid. This cup of tea is handed by the maid-servant. The guest is not supposed to drink the tea.