Page 66 - Bonhams May 16, 2019 London Asian Art

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A RARE AND GILT POLYCHROME LACQUER ‘ELEPHANT’ Incense stands such as the present example were used both in
INCENSE STAND religious as well as secular contexts as contemporaneous paintings
18th century and prints illustrate. Often positioned in the center of a room, such
Finely incised and coloured in varying shades of red, green and brown stands supporting incense burners were designed with great attention
transmuting to black, all picked out with traces of gold filling within the to detail and form, pleasing to the eye from any angle.
incisions, the top finely incised and gilt with an elephant supporting a
vase with flowers amidst cloud scrolls, surmounting a broad, flaring, Polychrome lacquer became popular in the late Ming dynasty, either
cusped and barbed apron decorated with lotus scrolls, all raised brush painted or gold-engraved and colored in the more onerous
on four cabriole legs terminating in outward curving slipper feet, qianjin-and-tianqi technique as found on the present table. The design
supported on a square frame. on the top of the incense stand is also particularly auspicious and the
51cm (20 1/8) deep x 51cm (20 1/8) wide x 86cm (33 7/8) high combination of a ‘vase’ (ping 瓶) which puns with ‘peace’ (ping 平),
and elephant (xiang 象) which also means ‘sign’ or ‘portent’, forms
£50,000 - 80,000 a rebus for the phrase taiping youxiang (太平有象), meaning ‘Where
CNY440,000 - 700,000 there is peace, there is a sign (or elephant)’.

Compare with a related lacquer ‘dragon’ incense stand, 17th century,
十八世紀 彩漆描金太平有象圖香几 which was sold at Sotheby’s New York, 20 March 2019, lot 714.
Provenance: a distinguished French private collection, Normandy

來源：法國私人收藏，諾曼地

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