A Chinese Folding Item?

Can anyone tell me what this was used for? It's a folding bamboo and paper item with a wooden handle at one end. When opened up, there is a silk tassel. It's not a hat, and it comes in the original box with no other parts so it's not an umbrella. I can't think of what else it could be used for. It's 11" long. Any ideas? Thanks.

 

@Any Jewelry..........this one's for you!!

 

A mystery to me too. It probably says what it is on the box. I would have thought a sunhat for travel, but if you are sure it isn't...
What happens when you pull the tassel (not too hard), does it close?
@i need help , NewEngland needs help.

 

I am thinking lampshade or impromptu Hat!

 

When I pull the tassel, it folds open a little more. I put it on my head and think that perhaps it could be a travel sunhat, but there's no way to secure it so it would blow off easily. And the paper would absorb moisture so it wouldn't look too good in the heat. Could it be an upside-down lampshade? A mystery!

 

The Chinese characters read "Ti Deng" which means a lamp (deng) you hold, hanging from your hand or a stick (ti.)

The one you found is different in shape. A candle holder would hang under the "hat" ...

 

Thank you! I have to wonder how many homes burned down after the paper and bamboo caught fire. Fire safety codes in China need to be strengthened!

 

These were not used inside homes, but when people traveled by foot outside, going from one place to another.

 

Would they be used during the Lantern Festival? Or not specifically at that time?

 

isn't it wonderful to be able to read chinese characters
so missing a candle holder?

 

No, not really. Just anytime. Nowadays of course people use flashlights and these are sort of decoration. (I cannot tell the date of this but IMHO looks like something you might buy at a tourist souvenir shop or something like that.)

 

Tried doing another search, and found this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Ja...918721?hash=item3d8821c1c1:g:sOwAAOSwWudbtnwx

... and yes, hanging under the "hat" there would be a little platform or similar, to hold a candle on, or maybe oil lamp...

... and here's another one:

https://www.tias.com/japanese-shoji-lantern-444867.html

 

I'm going to have to try pulling the tassel a little harder to see if it opens up. See these for sale on the internet - table lamps with folding legs, very cool. Thanks for all your help, JayBee.
https://www.pamono.com/japanese-kasa-table-lamps-1950s-set-of-2