This was the stand for an ivory puzzle ball (which would have originally been placed on the top but is now lost). The carved decoration of the stand is segmented and features a miniature puzzle ball set atop a figural group, which in turn rests on a circular base carved with scrolling foliage. Meticulously and delicately carved Chinese ivory puzzle balls, with their multiple concentric layers that could rotate, greatly fascinated foreigners. They were a popular Chinese souvenir item in 19th-century Europe.
