Removing ear wax

My father, the youngest son of Charles Warren, only inherited three items that had belonged to his father: a signet ring; a monogrammed inkwell; and a gold ear pick. Metal ear picks are considered highly dangerous to the inner ear these days. In fact my father used to tell me: "never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear". Before his death he sent the gold ear pick to his niece, so it is possible it was given to him as a memento by her father, Leslie Warren. At any rate, it seems that a metal ear pick must have been an integral part of a gentleman's toiletries in the early 20th century. 

I have a similar photo dated 1921 with a handwritten notice on the back: Peking, 28 oct. 1921.

Cleaning Ears, by Klaus