Page 159 - Christies Fine Chinese Works of Art March 2016 New York

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

1432
A GILT-BRONZE ‘LAOZI AND BUFFALO’ CENSER AND
COVER

MING DYNASTY (1368-1644)

The censer is naturalistically cast as a buffalo, with one raised
foot, outstretched neck, and long curved horns. The cover
is cast as a fgure of Laozi, and is ftted to sit on the buffalo’s
back. He holds a scroll in his right hand, and is garbed in
heavy robes. The bearded face has an opening at the mouth,
and there is another at his lower back, for the escaping incense
smoke.
12æ in. (32.4 cm.) high
$25,000-35,000

Compare the present censer with a very closely related bronze ‘Laozi
and bufalo’ censer, dated to the 17th century, illustrated by P. Moss
(ed.), Between Heaven and Earth: Secular and Divine Figural Images
in Chinese Paintings and Objects, Hong Kong, 1988, no. 39. See,
also, another bronze ‘Laozi and bufalo’ censer from the collection
of Mr. and Mrs. Gerard Hawthorn, sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 3
December 2015, lot 69, and another sold at Sotheby’s New York, 16
September 2015, lot 435.
明 銅鎏金老子騎牛薰爐

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