Deep-carved counter carved from bright mother-of-pearl with a village scene depicting two men carrying a large boulder over a bridge. The deep-carving consists of numerous layers of top quality decoration. The back side has a blank roundel and shows a landscape with houses and two unknown animals both of which are purely decorative. One could be a foo dog as it has manes and a bushy tail while the other looks like a dog looking over its shoulder. 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’. The counter dates from the Daoguang period (道光1820 – 1850). Length 6.9 cm. Width 2.7 cm. Thickness 0.23 cm.