A SMALL QUATREFOIL ‘ELEPHANT’ BRONZE INCENSE BURNER, EARLY QING DYNASTY
China, 17th - 18th century. Elegant yet heavily cast with four bulbous lobes standing on four pedestal feet, the incense burner has two elephant-head handles on both of its elongated sides. The bronze is covered overall in a fine, naturally grown patina with malachite encrustations mostly to the inside.


Provenance:
German trade.

Condition:
Good condition with some wear, signs of weathering, encrustations, dents, scratches, and minor casting flaws. Calcification to the interior from usage as a water vessel over a longer period of time.

Weight: 311.8 g
Dimensions: Width 6.5 cm


Literature comparison:

Compare a related bronze lobed vase with elephant-head handles, dated to the 17th century, at Sotheby’s New York, 21 March 2015, lot 764. Compare a related quatrefoil bronze vessel with lion-mask handles, dated to the Ming dynasty, at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 7 October 2014, Lot 3338.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 2 December 2015, lot 89
Price: HKD 75,000 or approx.
EUR 10,500
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A bronze incense burner, Late Ming/Early Qing dynasty
Expert remark: Note the similar elephant-head handles on this incense burner.




清初海棠口式象耳爐

中國，十七至十八世紀。海棠口香爐優雅而厚重，四乳足，兩個象頭耳。青銅器整體覆蓋著一層精美的自然包漿，內部大面積有藍綠色結殼。


來源：
德國古玩交易

品相：
狀況良好，有一些磨損、風化跡象、結殼、凹痕、劃痕和輕微鑄造缺陷，因爲長期用作水容器而導致內部有鈣質。

重量：311.8 克
尺寸：寬6.5 釐米


文獻比較：

比較一件相近的十七世紀銅如意紋象首耳海棠形瓶，見紐約蘇富比，2015年3月21日，lot 764。比較一件相近的明銅海棠式獅耳小尊，見香港蘇富比，2014年10月7日，Lot 3338。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：相近
拍賣：香港蘇富比，2015年12月2日，lot 89
價格：HKD 75,000（相當於今日
EUR 10,500
）
描述：明末 / 清初銅象耳壓經爐
專家評論：請注意的相似象耳。