PROVENANCE: Fred Madden (1938-2019) a family of World War I hero awarded by the French Government. His family's roots began in Arkansas before it obtained statehood.Educated at Little Rock High School Upon graduation Fred moved to San Francisco becoming part of the Beatnik subculture and playing ragtime and jazz piano in clubs. He married Margaret Lillington from Bradenton Florida. They moved back to her home state where he apprenticed in the travel agency field and was the youngest agency operator in the country.A world traveler, Madden visited 168 countries (a country being defined as one which issues its own postage stamps) include such arcane destinations as Tristan da Cunha, the Faroe Islands, Afghanistan's Wakkan Corridor and Upland Togo. Maddens Global Travel agency was the first American travel agency to arrange tourist travel to the Peoples' Republic of China. His trips overseas were always a challenge to find historical artifact of ancient China pieces to bring back to the states to show and amaze his friends. His collection was vast. He was a serious scholar with a fine library on the subject of bronze art. Same Provenance offered on Lot: 81-82, 217-224, and 361-364. Dimensions: Weight: 1980g, Height: 23 cm, Diam.: 13.5 cm Chinese Shang Dynasty Bird effigy Patinated Bronze Lidded Censer. This bronze incense burner has a round open lip, slight flaring, with dome archaic bird finial bud, globular body, all supported on two elephant legs in front and rectangles on the back. The abdomen body carved with archaic dragon, Wanzi pattern and Tao tie mask. The proportion of the whole body is symmetrical, the layout is accurate, very harmonious. Beautiful Chinese censer that allures the eye, displaying an amazing level of craftsmanship. Crusted golden russet-greyish to attractive turquoise sea blue molted patina covers the vessels body.