A CONONUT AND SILVER TEA SET China, 19th century. Lovely set of six bowls and a lidded teapot, carved from coconut shell with silver inlays. The bowls carved with a floral pattern and the silver interiors hallmarked. The Teapot carved with Buddhist symbols, with a fine bamboo handle and the lid surmounted by a Buddhist lion, carved from boxwood and possibly an addition but antique. The interior is inlaid in silver and the inside of the lid is also hallmarked. Condition: Cracks and wear to the coconut shell. The silver shows stains and warping. Generally good condition. Provenance: The collection of The Zelnik Istvan Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above. Dr. Istvan Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe. Weight: 435 g in total Dimensions: Heights 3.5 - 13.5 cm