ABACUS

Description: STRAPPED ON CORNERS WITH BRASS STRIPS & NAILS, FOR REINFORCEMENT. THE BRASS STRIP IS MISSING FROM THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER. ALSO THE DOVETAIL JOINT IS LOOSE IN THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER. NAILS MISSING FROM LEFT SIDE BRASS STRAPS. ABACUS IS COMPLETE WITH ALL WOODEN COUNTERS. BACK OF RIGHT SIDE IS CUT IN, E.G. THE RIGHT SIDE PIECE IS HALF THE THICKNESS (1.6 CM) OF THE OTHER SIDE PIECES. THE BACK INSIDE EDGE OF THE OTHER THREE SIDE PIECES ARE GROOVED, PRESUMABLY THIS WAS TO ALLOW FOR A SLIDING PIECE TO BE INSERTED FROM THE RIGHT AS A BACKPIECE. THIS BACK PIECE IS MISSING. BACK EDGE OF CENTRE BRACE PIECE SPLIT.

History: LEONG WAY BORN IN CHINA IN 1879 & IMMIGRATED IN 1892. AROUND 1900 HE OPENED THE "BOW ON TONG CO." STORE (GOOD HEALTH MEDICINE STORE) IN VANCOUVER, B.C. AT 13 PENDER STREET WEST. LEONG WAY WAS A TRADITIONALLY TRAINED HERBALIST. THE STORE OPERATED AS A GROCERY-HERBALIST PREMISE. IN 1928 HE MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE & OPENED A HERBALIST SHOP UNDER THE SAME NAME. THIS SOON BECAME THE LARGEST CHINESE HERBALIST SHOP IN CANADA WITH ITEMS IMPORTED FROM CHINA. HE OPERATED THE SHOP UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1967. HIS SON, ALBERT NOW OPERATES THE SHOP. THE ABACUS WAS USED IN THE SHOP.