Een Chinese blauw-witte 'Hai Wu Tian Shou 海屋添壽' yenyen vaas, Kangxi

H 45,5 cm

The expression hai wu tian shou 海屋添壽, which translates as 'may the ancient house for storing changes bring the longevity', is an auspicious birthday message wishing the recipient a long and happy life. The legend of the Sea House Addition, alluded to in the central reserve, tells the story of a group of immortals who are discussing their ages. One of the immortals states 'Every time the sea dries up and becomes a land of mulberry fields, I place one chip in my house as a record. And I place another one when the land of mulberry fields changes back to become the sea. Now my house is full of chips. How old do you think I am?' These chips are markers used for keeping count, made of wood or bamboo, and the word chip (chou 壽) is a homophone for the word meaning longevity (shou 壽), therefore instilling the meaning of adding age or longevity.