18TH CENTURY

Magpies (xique) depicted alighting atop the prunus branches (mei) enveloping the present brushwasher form the rebus xishang meishao, or 'May your joy reach up to the top of your eyebrows.' Magpies are symbols of joy, and the plum is a pun for 'eyebrows' (mei). The pair (shuang) of bats (fu) carved in the interior of the vessel forms the rebus shuangfu, or 'may you have double blessings', thus doubling the wish for happiness and joy.