A FINE AND LARGE CLOISONNE ARCHAISTIC INCENSE BURNER, FANG DING MING DYNASTY

the rectangular section body raised on four high dragon blade-like legs, brightly enamelled in blue, red, yellow and white to each face with a large taotie mask reserved on a turquoise ground and divided at the centre and corners by gilt notched flanges, the broad everted gilt rim set with a pair of loop handles decorated with ruyi scrolls on a turquoise ground, the slightly convex base decorated with a yin-yang medallion enclosed by the Eight Trigrams, reserved against a scrolling lotus and prunus ground 

The censer is in good overall condition with the exception of light rubbing to the gilding, scattered small areas of loss and associated restoration to each surface of the decoration, and pitting to the enamel.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Censers of this fang ding shape are rare, although a comparable piece, which forms part of an altar set in the Pierre Uldry Collection, is illustrated in Helmut Brinker and Albert Lutz, Chinesisches Cloisonne - Die Sammlung Pierre Uldry, Zurich, 1985, cat. no. 267. Another related censer from the Heliot collection is illustrated in William Cohn, Chinese Art, London, 1930, pl. 24; and a smaller fang ding, part of an altar garniture and attributed to the first half of the seventeenth century, was included in the Exhibition Die Ware aus dem Teufelsland, Museum fur Kunsthandwerk, Frankfurt am Main, 1981, cat. no. 51, and illustrated on p. 106.  

The present censer is closely related to a censer offered in our Hong Kong rooms, 29th November 1978, lot 442, inscribed with the hall mark Yong En Tang (Hall of Eterrnal Benevolence) indicating the location the vessel was made for. See also a fang ding sold in these rooms, 11th December 1979, lot 95, with a cover; and another sold at Christie's London, 14th December 1983, lot 363.