QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795)

Mythical beasts of this form are known as luduan, legendary creatures capable of distinguishing between good and evil. Because of these qualities incense burners of this form were placed beside or in front of the imperial throne to symbolise that the emperor, protected by these animals, was a virtuous and intelligent ruler. In this function a pair of cloisonne enamel incense burners of this form can be seen in situ in a photograph of the throne in the Hall of Supreme Harmony illustrated in Palaces of the Forbidden City, Hong Kong, 1986, pp. 66-67.

The enamelling on the present lot is superbly executed, and particular care has been taken on the arrangements of the scales, with each scale graduating in size from the upper body towards the legs to suggest the curvature of the body. This degree of care can also be seen on another cloisonne enamel lion form censer in the collection of Fontaine Bleau.

Compare also with a larger luduan-form censer, modelled with a very similar expression and pierced upward facing ears, in the Shengyang Museum, illustrated in The Prime Cultural Relics Collected by Shenyang Imperial Palace Museum: The Enamel Volume, Shenyang, 2007, p. 93. A smaller, somewhat more stylised example was sold in Christie's Hong Kong, 27 November 2013, lot 3477.