A ‘LUDUAN’ BRONZE CENSER, 17TH CENTURY China. Finely cast as the beast standing foursquare with a detachable head, portrayed with a single horn, bushy tail, bulging eyes, bared teeth, a finely incised mane and swirling scrolls on the stout body.

Provenance: Old Austrian private collection. Acquired from Galerie Asboth, Vienna, Austria, ca. 1985-1995. A copy of a certificate of authenticity from Galerie Asboth, signed by Ute Asboth, undated, describing the present bronze as a “Fo Dog”, accompanies this lot.
Condition: Very good condition with expected surface wear, casting flaws, nicks and dents, and a good, naturally grown dark patina.

Weight: 361.2 g
Dimensions: Height 11 cm, length 9 cm, width 4.6 cm

Censers of this type were modeled to allow the smoke of the burning incense to emerge from the beast's mouth, giving the impression of a living creature breathing smoke.

Auction result comparison: Compare a Luduan censer, also dated to the 17^th century, of slightly smaller size (7.5 cm), at Sotheby’s London, in A English Private Collection of Chinese Animal Carvings, on 10 May 2017, lot 29, sold for GBP 13,125.

十七世紀甪端銅爐
中國。銅鑄獨角瑞獸甪端，獨角如弓，怒目圓瞪，張嘴露齒，捲雲鼻，尾部向上豎起，呈火焰狀高聳，髮鬚翻轉直上，氣勢威嚴。

來源：奧地利私人收藏，約1985-1995年間，購於維也納Asboth藝廊。隨附一份Asboth藝廊出具的真品證書，由Ute Asboth簽名，但沒有日期，證書上描述為“太獅”。
品相：狀況極好，表面磨損、鑄造瑕疵、刻痕和凹痕，以及良好的自然生長的深色包漿。

重量：361.2 克
尺寸：高 11 厘米, 長 9 厘米, 寬4.6 厘米

焚香時，香氳自口湧出，甪端如生，吐納自若，設計巧妙。

拍賣結果比較：比較一件甪端香爐，十七世紀，尺寸稍小 (7.5 厘米), 見倫敦蘇富比 A English Private Collection of Chinese Animal Carvings 2017年5月10 日 lot 29, 售價GBP 13,125。