Page 98 - Christie's London May 14, 2019 Chinese Works of Art

*144
A GILT-BRONZE TWIN-HANDLED TRIPOD CENSER
17TH CENTURY
The vessel is of compressed globular form, with a pair of upright loop handles,
supported on three short feet. The base has an apocryphal six-character
Chenghua mark.
5 in. (12.8 cm.) wide
£5,000-8,000 US$6,600-10,000
€5,900-9,300
PROVENANCE:
Distinguished Asian Collection.

明末清初 銅雙耳三足爐

來源: 亞洲重要私人珍藏

*145
AN UNUSUAL YIXING INSCRIBED 'LION AND GRAPEVINE'
MIRROR-FORM INK STONE
QING DYNASTY (1644-1911)
The pottery mirror is moulded with a central pierced knop surrounded by a
frieze of lions alternating with bunches of grapes, surrounded by an outer
border decorated with a band of beasts, long-tailed birds and scrolling grapes
on vines within a double-band of sawtooth. The outer edge of the mirror has an
incised inscription. The surface is embellished with faux malachite and russet
encrustations.
5⅛ in. (13.2 cm.) diam.
£5,000-8,000 US$6,600-10,000
€5,900-9,300
PROVENANCE:
Distinguished Asian Collection.
The form and decoration of this mirror takes its inspiration from Tang
dynasty silvered bronze 'lion and grapevine' mirrors. Lion designs were frst
introduced into China with the introduction of Buddhism, and became a
popular motif on bronze mirrors in the Tang period, very often combined with
grape designs.
The inscription contains lines from the poem Mu Chun Ji Shi by Ye Cai of the
Song period, which describes a scene in which a scholar is studying the Book
of Changes in springtime, as birds pass the scholar's desk and fowers fall
through the window and into the ink well.

清 宜興紫砂詩文銅鏡式硯

刻文:
閒生曉窗讀周易
不知春去幾多時
雙雙瓦雀行書案
點點楊花入硯池
硯石鉏夫銘

(detail)
96 In addition to the hammer price, a Buyer’s Premium (plus VAT) is payable. Other taxes and/or an Artist Resale Royalty
fee are also payable if the lot has a tax or λ symbol. Check Section D of the Conditions of Sale at the back of this catalogue.