Cast as an incense burner in the form of a xiezhi depicted standing on a snake-like mythical creature, gripping it with its four claws, the serpentine figure coiled around to form the base of the vessel, its head with ears and a single horn resembling a chilong, the tail curling up the beast’s rear left leg as the head rises up the rear right leg, the hollow body cast with flaming flanks, the back flames terminating in stylised ruyi heads, around an elaborate tail with skilfully delineated tufts of hair, the chest cast with a long strip of scaling decorated with an elaborate collar around its shoulders, suspending a bell and two ornamental tassles framing the six-character reign mark cast in kaishu in a curved horizontal line at the neck, the head also hollow with mouth open enabling egress, with a single horn in the form of a ruyi sceptre rising above an additional ruyi head, with an additional four depicted radiating outwards across the elaborate hair of its mane, the outer surfaces, and the inner lip of the head all richly gilt.17 cm tall, 13 cm wide, 3000 grams