Page 52 - Bonhams, Fine Chinese Art, London November 3, 2022

116 *
A VERY RARE CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL AND GILT-BRONZE
TRIPOD INCENSE BURNER, DING
15th century
The robustly cast body of globular form supported on three short legs,
exterior brightly enamelled in yellow, white, red, and dark blue with
large lotus blossoms in two registers amidst leafy scrolls, repeated
along the neck, the gilt-bronze rim applied with a pair of flaring upright
handles with similar design, all reserved on a turquoise ground.
21.5cm (8 7/16cm) high.

£60,000 - 80,000
CNY470,000 - 630,000

十五世紀 銅胎掐絲琺瑯西番蓮紋三足香爐

The present lot is extremely rare, particularly for its shape and early
date. It is also notable for its solid casting and sophisticated lotus
design. With the tall flaring neck and globular body, in some respects
it is similar to a zhadou. However, the rounded base means that it had
to be supported on three feet rather than a circular foot ring typical
of zhadou. The stylised elephantine feet are also unusual. Compare
with a cloisonné enamel incense burner with related feet, mid Ming
dynasty, in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in The Compendium of
Collections of the Palace Museum: Enamels, 1, Beijing, 2011, p.157,
no.72.

Compare the lotus designs on the present lot to those on three
cloisonné enamel incense burners with interlocking lotus designs,
early Ming dynasty, in the Qing Court Collection, and illustrated in
Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Enamels, 1,
Beijing, 2011, pp.92-93, nos.25-27; and also a cloisonné enamel
incense burner with lion handles, and related lotus design, early Ming
dynasty, illustrated in ibid., no.36. Compare also the lotus with that on
a cloisonné enamel vase, Jingtai mark and of the period, in the British
Museum, London, illustrated by R.Soame Jenyns and W.Watson,
Chinese Art: Gold, Silver, Later Bronzes, Cloisonné, Cantonese
Enamel, Lacquer, Furniture, Wood, Oxford, 1980, no.73.

Compare also the S-shape handles with those on a cloisonné enamel
incense burner, Yuan/early Ming dynasty, illustrated by B.Quette,
Cloisonné: Chinese Enamels from the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties,
London and New York, 2011, p.229, no.11, where the author notes
that ‘the shape of the handles is characteristic of the early Ming
dynasties’.

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.