J.J. Lally & Co., Oriental Art / New York City, New York
MenuPast Exhibition
ELEGANTLY MADE: Art for the Chinese Literati
March 13-27, 2020
1.
A BRONZE ‘GOLDEN MIST’ INCENSE BURNER AND STAND
Qing Dynasty, 18th Century
heavily cast with compressed rounded sides resting on three short tapered feet, the wide mouth with slightly flared lip surmounted by a pair of upright arch handles, with a recessed rectangular cartouche cast with a six-character Xuande reign mark in kaishu on the underside, the matching original bronze stand in the form of a stylized mallow flower with three half-round sockets to receive the feet of the censer, the polished surface of the censer and stand with a rich reddish-brown patina suffused with very fine gilt speckling.
Width 7 1⁄4 inches (18.5 cm)
Overall height 5 15⁄16 inches (15 cm)
Weight of censer 1976g / base 1279g
Provenance
Hong Kong Trade, October 1981
Shuisongshi Shanfang Collection
The Franz Collection, Hong Kong, no. 1274
The very fine gilt speckling throughout the reddish-brown patina on this censer is traditionally referred to as ‘golden rain’ or ‘golden mist.’
Compare the Xuande marked gold-splashed incense burner and stand of very similar form illustrated by Hu, Later Chinese Bronzes: The Saint Louis Art Museum and Robert E. Kresko Collections, Saint Louis, 2008, pp. 137-141, no. 28, and on the dust cover.
Compare also the Xuande marked gold-splashed incense burner and stand of this form illustrated by Tsang and Moss, Arts from the Scholar’s Studio, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1986, pp. 150-151, no. 123, where the authors provide a lengthy discussion of the history of this type of bronze incense burner.
清十八世紀 灑金銅沖耳乳足連座爐 寬 18.5 厘米 通高 15 厘米
「大明宣德年製」款
爐重 1976g / 座重 1279g
來源 香港商行，1981 年十月
水松石山房藏
香港 The Franz Collection，典藏編號 1274
