Phil, I think you're onto something. Thank you.
It's true that the article from NZ mentions that "Australian Billy Barlow" (Robert Barlow) played a similar instrument and that he said he found it in the Celestial Empire. This man -- (who is the subject of a 10 year study of mine) toured China. His tour was well before this 1881 article. Of course he would give a story like this so "found it in the Celestial Empire" may not necessarily mean much. I have an impressive list of the instruments he played -- among other things -- and this is the only referece to him playing "a similar" instrument to the stylocarf. He did play Chinese fiddle -- but he was a multi-instrumentalist and he could, and probably did, play anything.
Thanks lox, for the picture. It's an interesting possibility.
Also I've been thinking about the word. Pen? Stylo? Carf bit mean anything?
Easily amazed Aussie Joy