This trunk-shaped card holder residing on a floral pattern rack is made of rosewood and engraved with a pair of magpies resting on a stem of plum blossom in the snow.
The Magpie, known as the 'auspicious magpie' or xi-què is regarded as an auspicious bird in China and always reporting good news. In Chinese legend, magpies formed a bridge for the two lovers in heaven (the stars Altair and Vega) to meet once a year.With magpie on a plum blossom stem, it sounds like a Chinese proverb of "good news up to eyebrow tips".