A landscape with a palm tree in the centre unfolds on this deep-carved square gaming counter which depicts three men. On the left a man carries baskets on a yoke although there was only space to depict one basket. The other two gentlemen of whom one holds a bowl in his hands seem to be in a lively discussion. The intricate armorial belongs to Buller family of Somerset, Shillingham and Morval in Cornwall, England and shows a Moor’s head above a quarter-pierced shield decorated with a cross of four eagles. The crest is flanked by a gentleman who seems to be offering a box to the lady on the left. 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’. This stunning counter dates from the Daoguang period (道光 1820 – 1850). Width 4.7 cm. Height 3.3 cm. Thickness 0.23 cm.