Qianlong Period, Qing Dynasty
Height: 31.5cm
Mouth diameter: 8cm

The engraved silver kettle has a thick neck, olive-shaped belly and loop leg. There's a curved spout, with a dragon head on one side of the belly and a ring on another side. On top of the lid, there's a hexahedral button, with each side engraved with branches of flowers. The lid, edged with cloud and dragon patterns, has movable rings, through which two "S"-shaped handles are fixed, connecting the lid and handles.

The whole body of the kettle is engraved with intricate patterns, with squirrel- and-grape patterns on the neck and bamboo grove landscape on the belly as a background, against which landscape and figure paintings like "carrrying a qin to visit a friend", "drinking wine on a moon-lit night", "reading and poem appreciating" and "old men playing board games" etc. The area above the leg is ringed with eight treasure motifs.

This kettle is beautifully structured, with black lacquer filling in the polished motifs, giving a meticulous painting feel. It is a masterwork of all silver wine vessels in Qianlong Period of the Qing Dynasty.