Page 122 - China's Renaissance in Bronze, The Robert H.CIague Collection of Later Chinese Bronzes 1100-1900

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A rather free rendition of the Eight Auspicious Emblems/ or bajixiang,
ornaments the walls of this censer. Introduced to Chinese art from Tibetan
Buddhism in the Yuan dynasty, the motif gained a measure of popularity in
the decorative arts in the Ming and Qing periods [see discussion, 20]. On
this censer, the order of the emblems varies considerably from that estab-
lished in the Ming, and the conch shell has been replaced by - or perhaps
drawn to resemble - a canopy, either through a misunderstanding of the
motif or, more likely, through a nonchalant approach to the decoration.
In style, the emblems on this censer find their closest counterparts
in the similar emblems on Qianlong porcelains, 5 confirming the censer's
eighteenth-century date. In Qianlong fashion, a peony replaces the lotus,
which had been used almost exclusively well into the seventeenth century;
the jar has a crackled glaze - popular in the Southern Song period and again
in the mid-Qing; the umbrella has decorative curtains embellished with
cloud scrolls suspended from its tiered crown; and both the umbrella and
the canopy have fringed lower edges. Also in Qianlong style, ribbons
flutter about each emblem in symmetrical fashion, as if brought to life by
a breeze, creating a festive atmosphere and, like rays emanating from a
charm, symbolizing the magical powers associated with the emblems. 6
The bowl, legs, handles, and borders of this censer were integrally
cast, but the Xuande mark and the decorative scheme were cold worked
after casting as indicated by the chatter marks visible especially in the
ribbons. Although the decorative elements appear to stand above the
background in slight relief, their surfaces are actually the same height as
the background; the illusion of relief derives from the wide, sunken outlines
whose beveled outer edges make the objects they surround appear to
rise in relief. Long employed in the ceramic tradition, beveled outlines
play a role in the decoration of Five Dynasties and Song ceramics, especially
in Yue 7 and Yaozhou 8 wares.

1 10 C H I N A ' S R E N A I S S A N C E IN B R O N Z E