Lotus Mooncake Press

This 19th-century hand-held wood press is carved with a large mold used for shaping festive mooncakes. Packed with lotus root, red bean, or other regional fillings, mooncakes are a delicacy eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival as an offering between friends and family. The mold is carved in relief with three lotus blossoms with seed pods, a motif of beauty, fertility, and summer. Beautifully aged and full of character, we love this humble kitchen tool as a storied token from the past.

From the collection of Frances and Gary Comer.