Ref.:
- The Victoria and Albert Museum, London, accession no. C.814&A-1910, for a similar individual example. (link)
- The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, object no. AK-NM-6698-A, for another pair with a different story depicted. (link)
- A similar example is in the collection of the Hong Kong Museum, where it was published in their Dec. 19, 2016 newsletter. (CUHK Newsletter 489/490, p. 9) (link) The article is also published individually. (link)

The text states: The four sides of the vase feature highlighted scenes from a popular drama, 'Han Gong Qiu', which translates to Autumn in the Han Palace.

It's a fictional rendition of the historical story of Wang Zhaojun, a concubine of the Han Emperor Yuan. Written by Ma Zhiyuan, a celebrated playwright during the Yuan dynasty, the drama enjoyed high popularity in the late Ming to early Qing periods. A wide selection of its scripts with illustrations were published. The paintings on the square vase were inspired by these illustrations.

Each side presents a different scene:
- Zhaojun appreciating performance at the inner palace.
- An envoy of the nomadic Xiongnu relays his king's request for Zhaojun to be his consort and threats of invasion. The Han Emperor and his court officials are terrified.
- Zhaojun agrees to sacrifice herself for peace. She bids farewell to the Han Emperor and sets off for a long journey to the north.
- The brave and determined Zhaojun, escorted by Han soldiers, travels in the freezing wind with her favourite pipa.