Deep-carved oblong gaming counter showing a boy playing with a rattle drum or pellet drum taogu (鼗鼓), one of the oldest toys in China. This instrument was also used as a noise-maker by street vendors and in religious rituals. The boy is watched by two ladies of which one is holding a fan. The intricate armorial belongs to Workman-MacNaghten family and shows the ‘I hope in God’ motto of the MacNaghtens as well as the French motto ‘Non pas l’ouvrage mais l’ouvrier’ of the Workman family which translates into ‘Not the finished work, but the workman’ which is a pun to their name. The motto is flanked by two creatures which could be dogs or foxes. The border on the front is decorated with plum flowers and bats. Plum flowers have five petals which represent ‘Longevity, Wealth, Health, Love of Virtue and a Peaceful death’. The bat (Fu) stands for ‘Blessings’. The border on the back shows berries of the evergreen plant ‘Rohdea Japonica’ (Wannianqing) which is a pun for ‘ten thousand years’. It is interesting that typical Chinese puns were used for the decoration. The counter dates from the Daoguang period (道光 1820 – 1850). Length 6.9 cm. Width 2.7 cm. Thickness 0.21 cm.