AN ARCHAISTIC BRONZE GUI-FORM CENSER, 17TH-18TH CENTURY
China. Boldly cast, each side with a pair of confronted kui dragons with coiled bodies reserved on a leiwen ground and separated by shaped flanges detailed with ruyi and foliate designs, flanked by dragon-headed handles detailed with grotesque bulging eyes and issuing pendent tabs. The foot similarly decorated with chilong and taotie masks on a leiwen ground, the recessed base with a raised lozenge design.


Inscriptions
: The interior cast with a two-character mark ‘ri yu’ (sun and fish).


Provenance
: From an English private collection and thence by descent.

Condition
: Very good condition with some old wear and casting flaws, minor nicks, scratches, and very few losses. The bronze with a smooth, dark patina with malachite encrustations.

Weight: 916.9 g
Dimensions: Width 15.3 cm (across handles)


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 27 March 2018, lot 2
Price: USD 4,750 or approx.
EUR 5,200
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An archaistic bronze vessel, gui, Qing dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related decoration with similar confronting kui dragons and shaped flanges as well as the related form, manner of casting with a similar lozenge design to the base, and inscription to the interior. Note the larger size (29 cm).


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 25 September 2020, lot 1605
Price: USD 8,125 or approx.
EUR 8,600
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An archaistic bronze gui-form censer, 18th-19th century
Expert remark: Compare the related form and manner of casting. Note also the related size (17.1 cm).




十七至十八世紀簋形爐

中國。雷紋地上夔龍紋，飾有如意和葉狀紋，兩側有龍首耳，龍首面目清晰。足部同樣飾以雷紋地螭龍、獸面紋。


款識：
底座内有“日魚”


來源：
英國私人收藏，保存至今。

品相：
狀況極好，有一些磨損和鑄造缺陷、輕微刻痕、劃痕和輕微缺損。青銅色光滑、暗色，孔雀色結殼。

重量：916.9 克
尺寸：寬 15.3 厘米(雙耳之間)


拍賣結果比較：

形制：相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2018年3月27日，lot 2
價格：USD 4,750（相當於今日
EUR 5,200
）
描述：清仿古青銅雙耳簋
專家評論：比較非常相近裝飾的夔龍和出戟、相近的外形，鑄造風格，與底座類似的菱形設計，以及內有銘文。請注意尺寸較大(29厘米)。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2020年9月25日，lot 1605
價格：USD 8,125（相當於今日
EUR 8,600
）
描述：十八/十九世紀銅仿古饕餮紋簋式爐
專家評論：比較相近的外形和鑄造風格。請注意相近的尺寸(17.1厘米)。