Pentagonal silver needle case embossed with Peaches (Longevity) and a Bat with two Bottle gourds. The combination of the last two is a pun ‘fulu shuangquan’ which means ‘May you have both blessings and wealth’. The chain is attached to a pentagonal needle holder inside which is filled with horse hair to stop the needles from falling out. A bell decorated with Bamboo (Humility & Fidelity) and an Osmanthus flower (Distinguisjed sons) dangles at the bottom. The needle case is marked with the name Tian Fu (天福) who may have been the silversmith or the retailer and dates from the late Qing (1644 – 1912) to the early Republic period (1912 – 1947). Total length 23.5.cm. Needle case length 6.1 cm. Width 1.3 cm.