Openwork jade ornament shaped like a Lotus flower in a vase which was acquired in 1991 in Shanghai. The Chinese word for lotus is lianhua (莲花) or hehua (荷花). 'Lian' is also the pronunciation of the word for Continuous (连) and 'He' is also the pronunciation for the word Harmony (和) so the lotus has the hidden message of 'Continuous Harmony'. The Chinese word for vase, 'Ping', sounds very much like the word for 'Peace'. The thickness of this jade ornament is a typical characteristic of the Ming period (1368 – 1644). Those made during the Qing period (1644 – 1912) are usually much thinner. Height 4.1 cm. Width 2.1 cm. Thick 0.44 cm.