A ‘DRAGONS AND CLOUDS’ BRONZE COVER AND CENSER, LATE MING TO EARLY QING DYNASTYExhibited: Galerie Zacke, Ming Bronzen, 1987, no. 82.China, 17th century. Of rectangular section, the sides tapering towards the base, supported on four short feet incised with taotie masks, the sides decorated with dragons amid crashing waves in high relief, flanked by two dragon-mask handles. The interior molded with six coins and inscriptions to the walls. The pierced cover with a dragon and scrolling cloud design, centered by a dragon-head finial. The base with a dragon roundel enclosing a two-character mark.Inscriptions: To the base, ‘Nei yong’.Provenance: The Plesch Collection, no. Bh 19e (label to base). Galerie Zacke, Vienna, 8 April 1987, sold for ATS 24,000 or approx.EUR 4,400 (converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). An Austrian private collection, acquired from the above. Peter and Traudi Plesch were both refugees from Nazi persecution. Peter had left Germany with his father, who was the medical doctor of Albert Einstein, who once gentlymented on the practical difficulties of young Peter's ingenious design for a perpetual motion machine. Peter Plesch had already formed a fine collection when he met Traudi. One influence had been his maternal great uncle, Fritz von Gans, who had left his antiquities collection to the Royal Prussian Museum, Berlin. However, on their honeymoon in Israel, Traudi fell for the lure of ancient Chinese glass which inspired a new joint adventure, the one criterion for a purchase being that she and Peter should both want the object, although not necessarily with the same passion. Thus, their collection was formed slowly and wisely over four decades, later expanding into jades and ancient bronzes, reflecting their desire to have beautiful, but also academically meaningful pieces.Condition: Excellent conditionmensurate with age showing some wear, few nicks, minuscule scratches, few dents, small losses, corrosion, and casting flaws. Fine, naturally grown patina overall, with distinct hues of malachite and cuprite.Weight: 2,860 gDimensions: Length 20.6 cm, Height 14.7 cmAuction resultparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Sotheby’s New York, 21 March 2018, lot 630Price: USD 47,500 or approx.EUR 51,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A bronze 'chilong' censer and cover, 17th centuryExpert remark:pare the closely related form, dragon decoration, pierced cover, and dragon-mask handles. Note the slightly larger height (18.2 cm).明末清初雲龍紋蓋爐中國，十七世紀。長方形爐，上寬下窄，饕餮紋如意形四足；爐身側面高浮雕驚濤拍岸龍紋，另兩側飾有龍面紋輔首。顱内有六枚硬幣紋。鏤空蓋飾有龍紋和卷雲紋，龍首鈕。爐底一個龍紋。展覽 ：Galerie Zacke藝廊，《明代青銅器》，1987年，圖82。款識：内用