Found in the spice cabinet

Clara’s spice cabinet doesn’t hold spices these days, and maybe it never did. We found instead many precious little pieces from Chester’s travels abroad, pieces such as these….

…. Chinese caricatures representing various memorable times and people in Chinese history. None are taller than 2 1/2" tall!

Could this be Confucius? Or maybe just a wise old man with a twinkle in his eye and a smile beneath his fuzzy beard.

On his sleeve is the Chinese symbol for longevity, or “shou”. Considering this piece is probably from Chester’s Pacific Tour of 1914, that symbol has served this little guy well — he’s over 100 years old!

The next charming items we find are two ivory farm animals made in Japan. They are only about three-quarters of an inch tall!

I imagine Chester smiling to himself as he pays for these in a Japanese market and then puts them in his pocket to mail off to Clara to enjoy.