Chinese cork carving, also known as cork sculpture, is a traditional Chinese art form depicting intricate landscapes with pavilions and animals. The cork (from cork bark of trees) is cut, carved, coloured and glued together into pictures after which it is wood-framed, usually painted in black lacquer, with clear glass protection. The tradition seems to have begun in the early twentieth century when the Chinese wood carving artist Wu Qiqi from Xiyuan village in Fuzhou was inspired by a wood carving picture that brought back from Germany to create something in imitation using locally cork for the main elements with rice paper plant to form the animals. The sculptures proved popular and many were exported. This piece is an excellent example with a particularly attractive frame and probably dates to before the Second World War.