Antique Chinese Japanese Ink Sticks Lot 3 Broken in Boxes (Set of 3)

We believe these soot ink sticks were purchased by Alice Burr in China in the 1920s or 1930s. 
 
They are works of art in themselves. Used for calligraphy and drawing, these carved ink sticks are each intricately decorated as shown in photos. The largest, gold-colored, features birds flying. The middle one has text and the artist’s stamp on one side, and we are not sure what is on the other side as the paper has stuck to it. The small one also features ancient text.
 
Should you choose to try using them, you will need an inkstone on which to grind them with water to create ink. There are special inkstone trays available that slope to a deeper area for pooling of ink, but you can also use a touchstone or black stone to create small pools of ink. 
 
As shown in photos, all three of these are broken. On the upside, that means you can try using them without worrying about them losing value!
 
Smallest: H 2” x L 1/2” x D 1/4”
Medium: H 3” x L 3/4” x D 1/2”
Largest: H 3 1/2” x L 7/8” x D 1/4”
 
Disclaimer: We have tried to make sure colors shown in photos are representative of the real colors of each item. We have tried to identify all imperfections in descriptions, but we may have missed some. If you are unhappy with your purchase, let us know.