清乾隆 粉彩散花綠地軋道開光聖人圖瓶 《大清乾隆年製》款

of ovoid form, the waisted neck encircled by a bowstring band below the galleried rim, the body with two opposing ogee-form panels, one painted with a sage artist whose realistic painting of a dragon has come to life and flown away, to the astonishment of his attendant, the other with a sage poet being offered a cup of wine by his attendant, both panels reserved against a green sgraffito ground incorporating scattered blossoms including sprigs of morning glory, magnolia, lotus, prunus and camellia, six-character seal mark in underglaze blue

There are scattered minor enamel flakes to the mouth and body with some retouching most noticeably to the neck and base.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

There are a number of artists in Chinese history who are purported to have painted dragons so life-like that once their eyes were dotted, they did indeed come to life and fly away, among them Gu Kaizhi, Wu Daozi and Zhang Sengyou. There are also many poets who composed their best work while inebriated, the most famous among them being Li Bai.