A large and rare documentary parcel-gilt bronze rectangular incense burner and cover, fangding


Cyclically dated to Jiajing Guichou year, corresponding to 1553 and of the periodOf square archaistic form supported on four tall legs issuing from lion heads and flanked by a pair of upright S-shaped handles, cast to each side of the body with an archaistic taotie mask detailed with boss eyes reserved on a dense leiwen ground, separated by flanges to the corners, raising to the waisted neck decorated with a band enclosing archaistic phoenixes, the cover surmounted by a seated Buddhist lion resting its right front paw on a beribboned brocade ball. 50.2cm (19 3/4in) high (2).
|明嘉靖 癸丑年（公元1553年） 局部鎏金銅仿古饕餮紋方鼎式蓋爐「明嘉靖癸丑寧寶呂氏命工造於淮安府署」楷書鑄款Provenance: Collection of Ambassador Max Mueller, purchased in Shanghai circa 1905, by reputeMuseum für Ostasiatische Kunst, on loan, Berlin 2001-2006Sotheby's London, 16 May 2007, lot 47A distinguished European private collectionPublished and Illustrated: M.Ricci, Europa am Hofe der Ming, Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Berlin, 2005, cat.no.136來源：據傳為德大使Max Mueller先生舊藏，約於1905年購自上海2001至2006年期間借展予柏林東亞藝術博物館2007年5月16日於倫敦蘇富比拍賣，拍品47號顯貴歐洲私人收藏著錄及出版：M.Ricci著，《Europa am Hofe der Ming》，柏林東亞藝術博物館，2005年，編號136The inscription on the shoulder of the vessel reads:「明嘉靖癸丑寧寶呂氏命工造於淮安府署」which may be translated as:'In the Guichou year (corresponding to 1553) of the Jiajing reign of the Ming dynasty, made by order of the Lü family of Lingbao in the government offices of Huai'an.'Compare with a related archaistic incense burner and cover, fangding, Song dynasty or later, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, of similar form surmounted by a Buddhist lion but decorated with archaistic phoenix motifs, (acc.no. zhong-tong-000564-N000000000).