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Lot Essay
The inscription on this bottle may be translated as:
Recommendation to the Star Governing Longevity:
May Heaven Protect and Establish You (From The Book of Odes);
May you have long life without limit (From The Book of Odes);
Preserve the great harmony and stay in tune with it (From The Classic of Changes);
May you have health and happiness (From The Classic of Documents);
The noble man takes his place where there is no ease or comfort (From The Classic of Documents);
How true it is about those southern hills (From The Book of Odes); May you have something to depend on, something to help you (From The Book of Odes);
I can but say, may you attain myriads of years. (From The Classic of Documents)
The inscription on this bottle comes from a section of the Qianlong Emperor's collected prose that consists of a series of set phrases for inscriptions on gift objects. This set is meant for birthdays. The whole series consists of Fu Lu Shou Sanxing Zan ('Commendations to the Happiness, Wealth and Longevity Stars').
Shoulao (God of Longevity) with a peach represents the rebus shouxing xianshou ('The God of Longevity brings you birthday greetings'). The peach brings to mind the peach orchard of the Queen Mother of the West, whose trees blossom once every three thousand years and whose fruit takes another three thousand years to ripen. The deer (lu) is a pun for 'emolument' or 'official salary', and also symbolizes Luxing, the God of Rank and Emolument.
Recommendation to the Star Governing Longevity:
May Heaven Protect and Establish You (From The Book of Odes);
May you have long life without limit (From The Book of Odes);
Preserve the great harmony and stay in tune with it (From The Classic of Changes);
May you have health and happiness (From The Classic of Documents);
The noble man takes his place where there is no ease or comfort (From The Classic of Documents);
How true it is about those southern hills (From The Book of Odes); May you have something to depend on, something to help you (From The Book of Odes);
I can but say, may you attain myriads of years. (From The Classic of Documents)
The inscription on this bottle comes from a section of the Qianlong Emperor's collected prose that consists of a series of set phrases for inscriptions on gift objects. This set is meant for birthdays. The whole series consists of Fu Lu Shou Sanxing Zan ('Commendations to the Happiness, Wealth and Longevity Stars').
Shoulao (God of Longevity) with a peach represents the rebus shouxing xianshou ('The God of Longevity brings you birthday greetings'). The peach brings to mind the peach orchard of the Queen Mother of the West, whose trees blossom once every three thousand years and whose fruit takes another three thousand years to ripen. The deer (lu) is a pun for 'emolument' or 'official salary', and also symbolizes Luxing, the God of Rank and Emolument.