Page 708 - Chinese SIlver By Adrien Von Ferscht

Turtles are one of the four divine animals, along with
the dragon, quilt and phoenix [fenghuang], hence this
turtle guard in the Forbidden City, Beijing.

Turtles carrying an obelisk was
often the form a “pounce” or
sander was created in in China.
The obelisk often carried an
auspicious message.
This Tai Shan piece is exactly
that - a circa 1895 pounce. Use of
turtle pounces date back to the
Tang Dynasty.