This tall ivory puzzle ball, which measures about four inches in diameter, is made of nine spheres-within-spheres and set on an ivory support consisting of seven pieces of carved and pierced ivory, including a small puzzle ball carved with dragons on a dragon base with a freely rotating pierced cylinder. A dragon theme with clouds and waves dominates the outer large sphere and its surround, as well as the cylindrical pierced base and plinth.

How is it made? Starting with a round piece of ivory, an artisan bores conical holes into the center of the ball. A very sharp bent cutting point is inserted into the holes and the ivory painstakingly incised at a right angle and gradually cut away until the incisions meet and the innermost sphere spins free. The same process is repeated for successively larger spheres. The outer layer is twice as thick as the inner layers because it is so deeply carved that if it were free moving it would be too fragile and shatter, so it is fused to the second layer to make it strong enough to avoid breaking. This intricate puzzle ball is an example of trade goods; puzzle balls have been made for centuries in China.