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I picked this up today at an estate sale. Have no idea what it is.
9.5 inches long. Each piece nestles into the next piece.
Made of paktong, brass, and copper stripping.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

seems like an incense burner in the shape of a ruyi scepter

Perhaps an incense burner.
Ernest

This is a Chinese censer in brass or similar metal in the shape of an imperial scepter having its one end shown here at left in the idealized shape of a long-life or "ruyi" (as you like it) fungus. Probably dates to the Republic period (1912-49). See link for futher information. Perhaps I.Nagy can handle this inscription.

Best regards,

Bill H.

URL Title :Ruyi shape censer

Here is the inscription,
大富貴亦壽考　月湖製
Wealth, high rank and long life Made by Yuehu

With regards,
I.Nagy

Many thanks to everyone. A Chinese censer in the shape of an imperial ruyi scepter it is!

It had been suggested to me that it was some type of incense burner, but the shape seemed so impractical for that (and it hadn’t been used) so I disregarded that.

It was just one item of about 35 (all of it dirt cheap) that I got from a family that was moving out of the house they had been in since at least the 1880s. An old shed out in back held most of the treasures. The family patriarch had run a well-known “optical house” in San Diego at that time (see pics). Not many Asian items, mostly European and American.

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