The latter is correct, but I wouldn't have translated that to read as "park". "Garden" would be more correct and was/is the name (North Garden) of a famous Imperial garden located within the forbidden city. IMO, it looks to be a souvenir tea set meant for outings, so would have been made after 1912, but I would probably say more like 1930-1960. It's main purpose would have been for display though rather than as an actual "fine quality" tea set. The recessed space was more than likely for the hot water container. The inside divider tray that would hold the actual tea set is missing, but a nice little box. I don't know that it would be worth all that much without the actual tea set. Ceremonial tea set boxes would typically lay horizontal, open from the top, and wouldn't have a handle.

Since all the women in my family are artistic, and some of the men too....Dad always did woodworking...everyone in my family prefers something handmade. A handmade item shows love, and that you actually thought about the person you are giving it to rather than rushing into a store at the last minute to grab something to give as a gift. I believe that if you actually make something that is high quality, there is no matching it with something store bought. The gifts that mean the most to me are the ones that someone made specifically for me. I have a fleece blanket that my sister-in-law made several years ago. It has gotten me through many hours of illness, and cancer treatments. Everytime I wrap it around my shoulders, it feels like a hug because I know that she made it for me with love. A store bought blanket would never feel the same. I have beautiful crocheted lace doilies that my aunt made for me. She is getting older and I know that those can never be replaced after she is gone. I have Christmas ornaments that my children and other family members have made for me. Every time I put up my tree for the holidays, I remember who I recieved them from and what was going on in our lives at the time. These are all things that you can't give or recieve with store bought items. I have a wooden napkin holder that my dad made for me. There is a story behind it of something that happened while he was making it that I will remember every time I use it. Dad is gone now and I will never have another thing that he made for me. I know that he had me in his heart while he worked on it. I know that I am not the only one in my family that feels this way. I have listened to the stories of where a special gift came from many times. TooMuchGlass, Please keep giving those handmade gifts! Even if they don't seem to appreciate them now, I believe that over time, they will mean the world to your loved ones. If not, then they are really missing out on what is important in this life.

Last Christmas, I made everyone handmade gifts. Never again! Well, at least to my in-laws. The gifts just were not appreciated! At the very least, they could have lied to me and told me what wonderful gifts they were and thanked me for the time that went into them!! I really envy families that do a handmade Christmas exchange!!!

Years ago they would heavily starch doilies, or use a sugar water solution and let them dry over something like a pot for a plant. When the doily is dry it should hold the shape of the pot. If they're not too large you could do that, and use them under your flower pot, or as a pen holder, or let the heavily starched doily dry over a balloon, pop the balloon and you've got an interesting weird thing to hang somewhere. Fill with potpourri maybe? Or let them dry over a bowl to get a bowl shape and flute the edges when it's almost dry.