清乾隆 粉彩海屋添籌圖夔耳瓶 《大清乾隆年製》款

of baluster shape with canted shoulders and waisted neck flanked by stylized kuilong handles, the neck, shoulder and foot decorated with foliate scrolls against a magenta sgraffito ground, the body enameled with a continuous scene of sages and their attendants beneath a pine tree, watching cranes fill a mansion rising from turbulent waters with tallies, six-character seal mark in iron-red

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Minor flaking to the enamels and wear to gilding. Otherwise, in overall good condition.
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.

The motif of a crane flying towards a mansion rising from the sea with a tally in its mouth conveys the wish for longevity. This motif comes from a story told by Northern Song scholar Su Dongpo (1037 -1101), in which three sages compare their ages. One of them says that whenever the sea dries up and turns into fields of mulberry, he marks the occasion with a tally, and to date, he has enough tallies to fill ten mansions. Since the sea drying up is such a rare occurrence, the fact that he has ten mansions full of tallies indicates the extraordinary length of his years. The elements in the story are combined into a motif for longevity called haiwu tianchou, the sea and mansion filled with tallies.

The themes of immortals and sages were popular during the Qianlong period and many examples of vases painted with Daoist immortals from the Qing court collection remain in the Palace Museum, Beijing.