Language: Mandarin Chinese
Source: Classical literature

Description

Huǒ lián bāo (火䥥包) literally means "fire sickle bag".1

It is a small fire making pouch customarily worn by Tibetans, Manchus, Mongolians and other outdoorsy people in and around the Qing dynasty Chinese empire and the Himalayas.

The pouch carried flint and tinder while the curved iron bottom of the pouch was used to strike the flint to create sparks.

Huolianbao

huǒliénbāo with a piece of flint

In other languages

Page from the Qing "Five Language Mirror" of 1790:

Wuti Qingwen Jian

From top to bottom:

Manchu: yatarakū fadu
Tibetan: me-khug
Manchu pronunciation of Tibetan
Mongolian: ketebči
Uygur: čāxmāq katāčī
Manchu pronunciation of Uygur
Chinese: Huǒ lián bāo (火䥥包2

 

Related terms

Huǒ shí (火石): "Flint" (Manchu: hirha)
Huǒ róng (火絨): "Tinder" (Manchu: šašun)
Dǎ huǒ (打火): "To strike fire" (Manchu: yatarambi) 3

Mongolian trousse setA Mongolian knife set with a matching fire striking pouch.

 

References
1. Tongwen Guanghui Quanshu (同文廣彙全書) or "Enlarged and complete dictionary" of 1704. A Qing imperial dictionary in Chinese and Manchu, each entry double-checked and approved by the Kangxi emperor.
2. Wuti Qingwen Jian (五體清文鑑)or "Five Languages Mirror", a Qing imperial dictionary in Manchu, Mongolian, Uighur, Tibetan and Chinese of 1790. Commissioned by and published under the Qianlong emperor. Page 3284. Chapter 21; Clothing and jewelry.
3. Tongwen Guanghui Quanshu (同文廣彙全書) or "Enlarged and complete dictionary" of 1704.

Do you have anything for sale?

I might be interested in buying it.

Contact me

Silk horse mask from the Xianbei ruled dynasty which ruled northern China from 386 to 534 A.D.

Price on request

Made of pasteboard, finely lacquered with roses and nightengales.

€9600,-

It represents the best of Burmese silversmithing with repousse work in high relief.

€3800,-

Constructed out of dense hardwood and with fine mother-of-pearl inlays in the Vietnamese fashion.

€2000,-

An enigmatic type of axe, this one probably from tribal north India.

€1200,-

Very rare subtype of a Khond tribal axe with double points.

€1650,-