Circa 1850.

Dimensions:7.7" wide 5" deep 5" tall with feet.

The canted corners are decorated with pictures of a young bird in a garden. Many legends exist in China involving birds and the sympathetic relationships between them and humans; these involve metamorphosis, speaking their tongue, and various other mystical and supernatural attributes. On account of this rich folklore, birds are highly symbolic in Chinese art.

This bird looks like a young oriole, the bird of joy and music and the symbol of friendship, one of the five human relationships.

There are two canisters with engraved decoration on the inside. The soft metal has suffered some bending as can be seen on the photo.

The top with a scene of figures in a garden, contained in a whimsical cartouche in the form of a stylized pineapple.