石渠寶笈三編(延春閣),第五冊,頁2266&*故宮書畫錄(卷八),第四冊,頁104&*故宮書畫圖錄,第十一冊,頁315-316&* 鄒一桂,生於康熙二十五年(西元一六八六),卒於乾隆三十七年(西元一七七二),江蘇無錫人,字原褒,號小山,又號讓卿,晚號二知老人。雍正五年進士,官至禮部侍郎,加尚書銜。著有小山畫譜。小山畫原出惲壽平。唯作品多為應制之作,循規蹈矩,故用筆工整,著色穠艷。此畫長青盆松,玉磬,寓意萬年吉慶。尚有梅瓶及四蟹緣瓶而升,諧音「四海昇平」之意。&* Tsou I-kuei was a native of Wu-hsi in Kiangsu. He became chin-shih in 1727 and led an official career which culminated in his appointment as Vice-President of the Board of Rites, and later was given the honorary title President. His paintings derived from the style of Yün Shou-p’ing. Many of his best works were commissioned by the emperor, and are distinguished by restrained lines and bright colors. Tsou was interested in the theory as well as in the practice of painting and authored a manual of painting, Hsiao-shan-hua-p’u. In this work a pine tree grows in a pot beside which is a musical stone symbolizing eternal good fortune. There is also a spray of plum blossom in a vase which four crabs are trying to climb into. These express the hope of ‘peace throughout the world.’