The former owner advised that the woodblock carving had been identified as being of Chinese origin and that it had been translated as a recipe for ginger soup to help with stomach patterns. Glued to the back is an old paper strip that states that it was - “Found March 15, 1945 - 800 yards south of Ft. Dufferin, Mandalay.

It is clear that the piece was used by either the Japanese occupiers or was buried under rubble and later unearthed. We have examined it very closely with a 10 power loupe and are quite sure that it was hand carved. One can only imagine how long and tedious a job that must have been. This high powered examination reveals a couple of small slips where the carvers knife missed and left an uneven edge. The piece measures 3 7/8” wide by 2 ¾” and is 3/8” thick, It is in excellent condition with fine patina. It is almost impossible to establish a clear date of its carving. Certainly it was made before 1945 when found. It could have been made anytime between 1800 and its discovery in 1945.

Mandalay is the second largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Mandalay is the economic hub of Upper Burma and considered the center of Burmese culture. Throughout the British colonial years (1885-1948), Mandalay was the center of Burmese culture and Buddhist learning, and as the last royal capital, was regarded by the Burmese as a primary symbol of sovereignty and identity.

Between the two World Wars, the city was Upper Burma's focal point in a series of nationwide protests against the British rule. The British rule brought in many immigrants from India to the city. In 1904–05, a plague caused about a third of the population to flee the city. The British take on the development of Mandalay (and Burma) was mainly through commercial lens. As for respecting Burmese sensitivities, not only did the British loot the palace, some of the which are still on display in the Victoria and Albert Museum, but they also renamed the palace compound Fort Dufferin and used it to billet troops. Many again fled the city during World War II when the city was under Japanese occupation from May 1942 to March 1945. The city suffered heavy damage. The palace citadel, turned into a supply depot by the Japanese, was burnt to the ground by allied bombing; only the royal mint and the watch tower survived.