The ceramic ink bowl has colourful butterflies printed on the lid and base, and a seal on the underside indicating manufacture in the Qianlong era 乾隆. The box is the same fabric and pattern as that holding the ink stick presented to Joseph Needham by Peking University 國立北京大學 in 1946, and so is most likely a gift from the same people. The box also has 乾 qian written in pencil on its base.