Page 158 - Bonhams, The H Collection, Classical Chinese Furniture, May 13, 2021 London

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A RARE GOLD-SPLASHED BRONZE OVAL INCENSE BURNER The origin of gold-splash decoration remains a source of speculation.
Xuande six-character mark, 18th century The decoration, noted on the present example, may have been based
The vessel of elliptical form with gently-flaring sides rising from four ruyi on a Ming dynasty practice of decorating bronzes. This is suggested
feet, the greenish-brown patina with numerous irregular gold splashes by a line drawing of a gold-splashed incense burner in the ‘Illustrated
in varying sizes, the base with an Xuande six-character mark. Catalogue of of the Ritual Vessels of the Xuande Period’ Xuande Yiqi
21.5cm (8 1/2in) wide. Tupu, which purports to be the wording of an Imperial decree of 1428
ordering bronzes for the Palace, and which illustrates these vessels.
£6,000 - 8,000 Many scholars, however, have argued that the this work may have
CNY54,000 - 72,000 been published at a later stage than the Ming dynasty; see R.Kerr,
Later Chinese Bronzes, London, 1990, p.18.

十八世紀 銅灑金洗式爐 An oval ‘narcissus bowl’ bronze incense burner, 16th-17th century,
「大明宣德年製」楷書款 featuring a similar elliptical form as the present lot, is illustrated by
S.Moss, The Second Bronze Age. Later Chinese Metalwork, London,
Provenance: 1991, no.43.
An important European private collection
爐型橢圓洗式，敞口淺腹，腹壁斜直內收，下底出一周圓弧棱線，
來源： 承四隻如意云足。通體灑金，於古樸中見富麗。爐底中央減地陽文
歐洲重要私人收藏 「大明宣德年製」六字楷書款。

Notable for its elegant and restrained form, the present vessel takes 明宣德時期依據古籍典錄及宋瓷形制鑄造銅爐，洗式爐即成經典形制
the form of a vessel type known as ‘narcissus bowl’, shuixian pen, 之一，明末清初之際仿鑄尤盛，頗受文人雅士的喜愛。此種器型原
which may have served as a incense burner as well as a floral bowl, 型可參考台北國立故宮博物院館藏北宋汝窯青瓷水仙盆，釉面純淨無
probably as an elegant accessory on a scholar’s desk. 紋，且同樣接雲頭型四足，本品造型與之如出一轍；見林柏亭編著，
《大觀 北宋汝窯特展圖錄》，台北，2006年，編號7。
The elliptical form of narcissus basins appears to have originated in the
ceramic production of the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127). See for 比較一例十六至十七世紀銅洗式爐，形似本例，收錄於S.Moss著，
example the exquisite Ruyao-glazed ‘narcissus basins’ dating to the 《The Second Bronze Age. Later Chinese Metalwork》，倫敦，1991
11th and 12th century and standing on four ruyi feet, in the National 年，編號43。
Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated by Lin Baiting, Special Exhibition of
Ju Ware from the Northern Song Dynasty, Taipei, 2006, no.7.

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