Page 6 - Imperial Sale Chinese Works of Art June 1 2016 HK

PROPERTY FROM A GERMAN FAMILY COLLECTION 德國家族珍藏

This very rare bronze ‘dragon’ censer was in the 此件珍罕的雲龍紋簋式爐曾為德國駐華外交官Hermann
collection of Hermann Dobrikow (d. Beijing 1928), a Dobrikow (1928年卒於北京)之舊藏。Dobrikow在華
German diplomat to China in the early 20th century. 期間深受中華文化吸引，建立了豐富的文物收藏，品類
Dobrikow developed a deep attachment to China and 囊括唐至清五代的陶瓷、銅器、鼻煙壺及織繡等。其
established a strong collection of Chinese antiques which 部分珍藏於1930年由柏林Rudolph Lepke拍賣。
encompassed many categories including pottery and
porcelain from Tang to Qing dynasties, later bronzes,
snuff bottles and textiles. Part of his collection was sold
by Rudolph Lepke’s Kunst-Auctions-Haus, Berlin in 1930.

30 The present censer is distinguished by its high-relief casting
09 which allows for a powerful and vivacious rendering of the dragon
decoration. Censers of this type are extremely rare and only a
A VERY RARE IMPERIAL BRONZE few examples have been preserved in international collections.
‘DRAGON’ CENSER Compare a similar gilt-bronze censer included in the Oriental
XUANDE CAST SIX-CHARACTER MARK AND OF Ceramic Society of Hong Kong exhibition Arts from the Scholar’s
THE PERIOD (1426-1435) Studio, and illustrated in the Catalogue, Hong Kong, 1986, no.
The censer is raised on a slightly splayed foot, and superbly cast in 139; and another parcel-gilt censer sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong,
high relief around the exterior of its compressed globular body with 5 October 2011, lot 1943. The style of the chilong and clouds on
a pair of three-clawed sinuous dragons striding amidst clouds, flanked this censer are closely related to carved lacquer of the early Ming
by a pair of mask and ring handles on the sides.The base is cast with period, for example see a carved cinnabar ‘chilong’ dish in the
the reign mark within a recessed rectangular panel. Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Lacquer Wares of the Yuan
8 in. (20.5 cm.) wide, zitan cover and Ming Dynasties, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the
Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2006, no. 58, where the style of the
HK$1,000,000-2,000,000 (US$130,000-260,000) chilong, and the clouds on the cavetto are very similar to those
on the current censer. The marks on the present censer and the
明宣德 御製銅雲龍紋簋式爐 aforementioned examples all follow the same style, which is very
《大明宣德年製》六字楷書鑄款 similar to that which appears on porcelain vessels of this period.

PROVENANCE: 爐作簋式，外壁採高浮雕方式鑄以一對螭龍穿梭於卷雲之中，兩邊
Hermann Dobrikow, (d. Beijing 1928), German diplomat to
China 飾獸耳銜環，器外底鑄陽文「大明宣德年製」楷書款。此類高浮雕
A German family collection
技法及雲龍紋未曾見於宣德以前的銅爐，近似例極少。比較1986年
來源： 香港東方陶瓷學會《Arts from the Scholar's Studio》展出的一
德國駐華外交官Hermann Dobrikow (1928年卒於北京) 例，見該展圖錄圖版139號，及香港蘇富比2011年10月5日拍賣一
德國家族收藏 件，拍品1943號。此爐的紋飾風格與明初剔紅漆器上的極為類似，
比較北京故宮藏一剔紅螭龍紋盤，尤其是其龍紋和雲紋的表現，見

故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集《元明漆器》圖版58號，香港，2006
年，圖版58號。此三件銅爐款識的筆法基本雷同，亦與同期瓷器上
的款識十分接近。

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