A VERY FINE AND RARE GILT-BRONZE AND CLOISONNE ENAMEL INCENSE GARNITURE SET

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A VERY FINE AND RARE GILT-BRONZE AND CLOISONNE ENAMEL INCENSE GARNITURE SET
QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795)

The set comprises a tripod censer, a vase and a circular covered box, each mounted with shaped gilt-bronze plaques of birds and deer amidst floral sprays, and enamelled with auspicious symbols including Shou characters and bats suspending wan emblems, in flight amidst a bright turquoise-ground scattered with lingzhi and the 'Three Friends of Winter', prunus, bamboo and pine, reserved on a cracked-ice ground each register divided by gilt key-fret and ruyi bands, with pairs of chilong handles on the vase and censer
The censer 5 3/4 in. (4.6 cm.) across the handles
The vase 6 3/8 in. (16.2 cm.) high
The box 3 in. (7.6 cm.) wide (3)

Provenance

The Estate of Dr. Ip Yee, sold in Sotheby's Hong Kong, 19 November 1984, lot 20.

Literature

Sotheby's Hong Kong, Twenty Years, 1993, no. 405.

Lot Essay

Previously sold in our London Rooms, 11 July 1977, lot 24.

It is unusual to find a complete garniture set, made up of censer, vase and covered box, in cloisonné enamel. The burning of incense was an important part of many Chinese rituals, from as early as the Han dynasty, and a set like this was popular as part of the paraphernalia for a scholar's studio. The small circular box was used to store incense in strip, coil or pellet form, and the tool vase was used to accommodate implements such as chopsticks and spatula to rake or smooth the bed of ashes in the censer.

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