19TH CENTURY

Crib sheets such as this were smuggled into the examinations for the Chinese civil service by student candidates. These examinations were held in enormous halls in which the candidates were confined for 36 hours. If a crib sheet was discovered, the candidate was 'turned out'. For a discussion of the examination process see, V.M. Garrett, Mandarin Squares, New York, 1990, pp. 5 to 9, where a similar crib sheet is illustrated, p.8, fig. 2.4.

For a similar example, see Christie's New York, The Imperial Wardrobe, The Linda Wrigglesworth Collection, 19 March 2008, lot 124.