The story is not known, but we can only surmise that the first painting, indicates an elder gentleman happening upon two young girls, who appear to have been drinking perhaps an alcoholic beverage from a lovely porcelain vessel which is upon the ground. The bottle is decorated with a phoenix, which in some Eastern mythologies is a symbol of Royalty.

The second, smaller painting, shows this same gentleman, in different clothing, disheveled, distraught, and breaking beautiful, fine porcelain vessels upon the ground. Is the gentleman a potter, perhaps, and showing remorse at perhaps the young girls of royalty having drunk alcohol from one of his containers? We do not know, but translating the notes on the verso may be clues to the story.