A small rectangular hardwood tea serving tray made with an antique hardwood panel inlaid with bone from an old Chinese canopy bed. Bone inlay is often seen on the hardwood panels of a furniture piece such as a cabinet or a bed from the Ningbo area in China. The type of hardwood used is often Hong-Mu（红木）or Huali（花梨）wood. Unlike some other materials, bone is pretty hard to carve and the hard and slippery surface which is often brittle, often creates a different feel for the resulted artwork that often displays a quality that is bold and lively. The work can sometimes look naïve and whimsical. Such labor intensive work differs from the more recent reproductions with the computer-generated design and are cut with machine, so everything looks very precise and even rather than the marks by handwork.

The inlaid work here shows a Chinese tale, including a procession of a figure riding on a horse, followed by a servant holding an umbrella. In the middle, there are two figures sitting on chairs with the horseshoe back rest. In front of the two figures are two smaller dancing or performing figures. There are two building type of monuments with hanging bell on top and calligraphy like detail underneath that together form a stage setting. All are composed in a scenery with flowers, trees, pagoda, and birds.

Dimensions: 15"w x 6"d x 1 1/2"h

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