The copper body of this small elegant vase has a separately applied silver rim and silver base plate with the jungin mark. The pale green enamel ground has silver yusen decoration of mythical Ho-o (phoenix; here resembling peacocks) among cloud-like karakusa floral scrolling interspersed with lotus and Hosoge flowers with petals highlighted with shaded enamels. There are also fine stylised silver yusen cloud whorls around both the rim and base. The overall subject matter here is Buddhist in origin: the Ho-o is originally found in Chinese art and is an auspicious, imaginary creature. In Buddhism, they are symbols of the southern direction and one of the guardian animals of the four directions. The karakusa (lit. 'Chinese grass') motif is often found together with the lotuses (a subject also commonly frequently found in Buddhist art) and other flowers.