CHINA, QING DYNASTY, KANGXI PERIOD (1662-1722)

Mythical beasts of this form are known as luduan, legendary creatures capable of distinguishing between good and evil. Because of these qualities, pairs of censors of this form were often placed beside or in front of the imperial throne to symbolise that the emperor, protected by these animals, was a virtuous and intelligent ruler. An almost identical turquoise-glazed luduan, modelled in mirror image to the present lot, in the Palace Museum is illustrated in Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong, Qing porcelain from the Palace Museum Collection, Beijing, 1989, p.159, pl 142.