Blackwood ruler inlaid with silver dots to mark the measurements. Also inlaid on one side are the silver Chinese characters 状元及第 (zhuang yuan ji di) which mean ‘May you become the winner of the first place in the final imperial examinations’ and in the centre福 (Fu – Good luck or Blessings). On the other side are the characters五子登科 (wu zi deng ke) which means ‘May your children have a promising future’ and in the centre 禄 (Lu – Prosperity). The division of the ruler does not tally with Western sizes such as inches or centimeters. Instead traditional units of measure were customary. Many of the units were formerly based on the number 16 instead of 10. Small rulers like this were used for home crafts such as sewing children’s clothing, collars, head gear and other garments. The ruler dates from the end of the Qing period (1644 – 1912). Length 35.4 cm. Width 1.4 cm. Thickness 0.7 cm.