Deep-carved counter carved from bright mother-of-pearl with a village scene depicting two men carrying large pots. The deep-carving consists of numerous layers of top quality decoration. The back side has a blank roundel and shows a landscape with houses, a dog (or a wolf) and an unknown animal both of which are purely decorative. The fretted border is decorated with plum flowers and bats. The bat is a pun for ‘Blessings’ and the five petals of the plum flower represent ‘Longevity, Wealth, Health, Love of Virtue and a Peaceful death’. Depictions of bats and plum flowers are quite common on the borders of gaming counters. The hidden meanings remained unknown to their Western users however. The counter dates from the Daoguang period (道光1820 – 1850). Length 6.9 cm. Width 2.7 cm. Thickness 0.23 cm.