Page 297 - 2019 September 11th Sotheby's Important Chinese Art

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A GILT-BRONZE AND HARDSTONE- cast as a single bird, as most extant examples 清十八 / 十九世紀初 銅鎏金嵌
INLAID ‘BIRD’ CENSER are cast as phoenix or mythical beasts. 寶鳥形爐
QING DYNASTY, 18TH / EARLY 19TH Compare hardstone and glass-inlaid phoenix-
CENTURY form censers, perched on very similar rocky 來源
bases: one sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 紐約蘇富比1988年4月8日，編號298
cast as a small long-tailed bird perched on a 8th October 2009, lot 1734, another at
rocky outcrop, the body forming the receptacle Christie’s New York, 2nd June 1989, lot 368. A Michael Gillingham，倫敦
and the detachable folded wings forming the further pair sold at Christie’s New York, 27th
cover, with short beak, spiraled tufts of short November 1991, lot 59, and again in the same
feathers at the throat, and finely detailed claws, rooms, 26th March 2010, lot 1179. A ‘double
embellished with various multicolored semi- phoenix’ example sold at Bonhams London, 6th
precious stones including turquoise, agate, November 2014, lot 270.
lapis lazuli, jadeite, and carnelian at the curling
crest, cheeks, and plumage, the rocky integral A ‘yingxiong’ censer, in the form of a recumbent
base accented with similar stones carved as phoenix above a mythical beast, was sold in
lingzhi heads (2) our Hong Kong rooms, 23rd October 2005, lot
Length 6 in., 15.2 cm 396. For a mythical beast-form censer, see one
formerly in the Herbert R. Bishop Collection,
PROVENANCE sold at American Art Galleries, 25th January
Sotheby’s New York, 8th April 1988, lot 298. 1906, lot 2035, again in these rooms, 20th
Michael Gillingham, London. November 1973, lot 39, and once more at
Christie’s London, 15th June 1999, lot 105.
The present censer can be associated with a
group of animal-form, hardstone-inlaid gilt- $ 20,000-30,000
bronze incense burners from the Qianlong
period. All share archaistic motifs and feature
an array of variously shaped semi-precious
stones inset to accent the fur, feathers, and
physiognomy. However, it is rare to find one

CHINESE ART FROM THE COLLECTION OF HENRY H. ARNHOLD 295