18th century Of cylindrical form, the thick sides with a fitted zitan wood rim and the base mounted with zitan wood rising from three short feet, the exterior superbly carved in high relief with a continuous lush garden scene depicting ten old ladies sitting, chatting, entertaining with three young attendants, preparing tea, holding book and opening a door to the garden wall, a pavilion amidst trees and rocks on one side realistically carved with pillars, formal tiles, as well as the furniture ladies sitting by and a flower arrangement behind one lady, a path flanked by banana trees, rocks and table with rock bonsai leading to another architecture complex, one lady with a pipa listening to another sitting behind a short table with exquisitely carved dishes, outside a cloister carved with a lady with a ruyi sceptre standing behind a pillar, and before a pavilion carved with openwork windows and two ladies chatting in the room, the bamboo patinated to a russet-brown tone, box. 16cm (6 1/4in) high x 12.3cm (5in) diam. (2).