石渠寶笈續編(御書房),第四冊,頁2193&*故宮書畫錄(卷八),第四冊,頁103&*故宮書畫圖錄,第十一冊,頁273-274&*Tsou I-kuei, a native of Wu-hsi in Kiangsu, went by the sobriquet Hsiao-shan. He became a Presented Scholar (chin-shih) in 1727 and often did paintings of branches of leaves and blossoms in a fluid and natural manner with bright colors. Some of his works were also commissioned by the court, resulting in a more moderate style that still retained much elegance. He also excelled at painting theory, being the author of Hsiao-shan’s Painting Manual. In this painting is a rectangular planter of orchids in front of a crackled ceramic vase of blossoming peach branches. The ink for the stems, leaves, and branches is fluid and natural. The coloring is bright and appealing, while the brushwork is fine and precise.