A LARGE GOLD-SPLASHED BRONZE 'ELEPHANT' TRIPOD CENSER AND COVER, QING DYNASTY China, 18^th-19^th century. Supported on three elaborately cast elephant-head feet and with a pair of similar elephant-head handles, the rounded sides rising to an everted rim. The domed cover with pierced cartouches showing confronting dragons below a caparisoned elephant supporting a finial on its back.

Provenance: From a private collection in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, mostly acquired in New York, Europe, and Hong Kong between the 1940s and 1970s. Thence by descent to the last owner. Old inventory label to inside of cover. A copy of the anonymized provenance statement signed by the previous owner accompanies this lot.
Condition: Very good condition with minor old wear and some casting flaws, few small nicks, occasional light scratches, a faint impression from an old label to the base. The finial slightly leaning. The wood base with traces of use and age. All three pieces with a fine, naturally grown patina overall.

Weight: 5,211 g (excl. base) and 6,281 g (incl. base)
Dimensions: Height 42.6 cm (overall) and 35 cm (excl. base)

With a finely carved matching wood petal-lobed tripod base, carved with a central lotus design, dating to the Qing dynasty. (2)

Literature comparison:
Compare a related bronze censer, also with elephant feet, handles, and cover but lacking the gold splash, in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, accession number 00095770.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's New York, 17 September 2010, lot 1022
Price: USD 74,500 or approx. EUR 94,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A large and finely cast gold-splashed bronze tripod censer and cover, 18th/19th century
Expert remark: Compare the similar elephant handles and feet, the pierced cover surmounted by an elephant, and the gold splash. Note the larger size (57.8 cm).


清代大型灑金象耳三足熏爐
中國，十八至十九世紀。整器工藝繁複，直口，與器蓋子母口相合。爐蓋上有大象背托寶瓶，腹部灑金，兩側出天象耳，卷鼻上揚，肌肉感、皮膚褶皺，表現淋漓。底承三象首形足，葉形象耳後揚，眉眼細長，鋒牙斜出，卷鼻著地，頭頂漩渦圖案。

來源：美國亞特蘭大私人收藏，其藏品多在上世紀四十至七十年代購於紐約、歐洲以及香港，保存至今。爐蓋内有舊標籤。隨附一份由前任所有者簽署的匿名出處聲明的複本。
品相：品相非常好，有輕微磨損和一些鑄造缺陷，少量小刻痕，輕微的劃痕，舊標籤在底座上有微弱印跡。寶瓶微微傾斜。木質底座有使用痕跡和年代感。整體都帶有自然包漿。

重量：5,211 克 (不含底座) 和 6,281 克 (含底座)
尺寸：高42.6 厘米 (總) and 35 厘米 (不含底座)

清代蓮花圖案木質底足。

文獻比較：
比較一件相近的宣德款銅纏枝花卉紋象耳足蓋爐，同樣的形制，但無灑金，見北京故宮博物院館藏，編號00095770。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得, 2010年9月17日, lot 1022
價格：USD 74,500（相當於今日EUR 94,000）
描述：十八或十九世紀大型灑金三足銅蓋爐
專家評論：比較相似的象耳把手和足，鏤空的爐蓋以大象為飾，灑金分布在均勻整爐。請注意尺寸較大 (57.8 厘米)。