1899年 料胎內畫「瑞鶴壽鹿」圖鼻煙壺 丁二仲製 《己亥春二月二仲寫》《己亥仿新羅山人法二仲作》款

「仿元人一品富貴圖」字 「丁」「中二」印

Arthur Gadsby 收藏，1980年
Belfort 收藏，1986年

《Très précieuses tabatières chinoises: Collection rassemblée par Maître Viviane Juthea》，L’Arcade Chaumet，巴黎，1982年，編號129
《Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Collection of Mary and George Bloch at the Galleries of Sydney L. Moss, Ltd.》，Sydney L. Moss Ltd，倫敦，1987年，編號259
Creditanstalt，維也納，1993年
倫敦佳士得，1999年

康蕊君，〈Exhibition Highlights: Chinese Snuff Bottles〉，《Orientations》，1987年10月，頁43，編號13
Hugh Moss、Victor Graham 及曾嘉寶，《A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection》，卷4，香港，2000年，編號552.

There is a 0.6 cm flake to the foot. Otherwise the overall condition is quite good.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The crane design seen on the present bottle is not intended primarily as a symbol of longevity, as it usually is, but in its alternative symbolic role as the badge of a first-rank court appointment. This is made clear by the title and by the addition of the sun moving upwards in the sky, symbolising a rise through the ranks of official position. This is one of Ding Erzhong’s intriguing images of cranes, where no two are alike and each is imbued with extraordinary personality. There is also a lovely abstract balance set up by the three vermilion emphases: the sun, the crane’s crest, and the seal following the inscription.

On the other side is one of Ding’s most compelling images of deer, with two superbly painted beasts in a magnificent, studied pose as they turn towards the two bats flying above them beside the ancient cypress. The artist who inspired Ding to paint this scene is Hua Yan (1682–1756), one of the most versatile painters active in eighteenth-century Yangzhou. He adopted the literary name Xinluo shanren, one of the nearly twenty different artists of antiquity whose inspiration Ding has acknowledged on his recorded works. In this case we can detect the style of Hua Yan, who produced delightful paintings of animals, as much as we can see the style of Ding Erzhong.