L’oisiveté est la mère de tous les vices by Line Vautrin

“Idleness is the mother of all vices” by Line Vautrin.
Natural bamboo inkwell. The gilded bronze lid is finely carved with a rebus, the bamboo interior houses a small glass receptacle.
The rebus can be deciphered as follows:
The goose (OIE in French) for the OI
ZI for si
T for té
A hedge of shrubs (haie in french) for EST
The musical note “LA” for LA
The sailing boat represents the sea for MERE (Sea is called MER in French)
The number 2 for DE (2 in French is pronounced DE)
A character with a cough for TOUS (THE COUGH IS CALLED TOUX IN FRENCH).
l’ followed by a hedge of shrubs for LES
Two screws for VICES (A screw is called VIS in French).
The proverb “Idleness is the mother of all vices” means that a lack of activity and occupation leads to morally reprehensible behavior. In other words, when one has nothing to do, one is more likely to fall into sin or commit negative actions. This is a very ancient proverb, emphasizing the virtue of work and the need to stay busy to avoid bad influences.