Ring with magpies and a flower – (6579)
[6579]

Embossed silver ring with a depiction of two Magpies and a flower. Surprisingly the flower only has four petals which should perhaps have been five petals of a Plum flower. Magpies and Plum blossoms lead to the pun ‘May your joy reach up to your eyebrows’ (xishang meishao). The five petals of a Plum flower represent the Five Blessings (see 4093) and Magpies symbolize Joy & Happiness. But instead of five petals, this flower only has four petals making it an Osmanthus flower which symbolizes a wish to get Distinguished sons. Was this done deliberately of did the silversmith make a mistake? The ring is marked Tong Sheng (通盛) who may have been the silversmith or the retailer and dates from the late Qing period (1644 – 1912). Height of the ring face 3.1 cm. Width 2.1 cm.
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