CHINA, QING DYNASTY, 17TH-18TH CENTURY

The inscription tai gong chui diao refers to the first encounter between Jiang Taigong and King Wen of Zhou, when the King was on a hunting trip near the north bank of the river Wei and stumbled upon Jiang fishing on a grass mat. Jiang Taigong (also known as Jiang Ziya) was a minister and close advisor of King Wen and Wu of Zhou and was a renowned strategist and military thinker, helping the Zhou kingdom to overthrow the Shang.