Ming dynasty, 16th Century With shallow rounded sides and canted corners, carved in a flat-surfaced low-relief at the center with a scholar and his assistant carrying an early prunus blossom branch in a rocky setting with pine, bamboo and prunus blossoms set within an ogival central panel which is reserved against a larger rectangular panel with a cloud motif on a cell ground, the interior up-curving sides carved in a more dense relief with channelled grooving to emphasize the trailing floral design, the exterior with a continuous single register of key-pattern above a thin line of simply-scooped semi-circle lappets, a short foot rim and a plain black-lacquered base 14in (35.5cm) across