A RARE PARCEL-GILT DRAGON CENSER WITH COVER MARK AND PERIOD OF SHUNZHI, DATED 1648

the solidly cast ding tripod censer with a bombé body supported on three cabriole legs, cast in raised relief in gilt with full-frontal sinuous dragon flanked by two dragons in profile wrapped around the vessel, surrounded by clouds and set off against the plain bronze ground, the waisted neck inscribed in Manchu script with Da Qing Shunzhi wunian zhi (Made in the fifth year of the Great Qing Dynasty, 1648), framed by a pair of upright curved U-shaped handles extending from the neck

Apart from some old minor nicks to the rim and some light wear to the gilding on the raised surface, the overall condition is very good.
"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."

The Shunzhi period was marked by severe social and political turbulence, thus artefacts dated to this period are extremely rare. The present piece is particularly impressive for the powerful rendering of the writhing dragons in high-relief and the robust shape of the vessel, which derives from the archaic ritual bronze ding. Compare slightly earlier examples of this type, but with a variation of the dragon motif and with handles in the form of twisted ropes; see one signed Yunjian Zhu Chenming zhi, sold in these rooms 20^th November 1985, lot 238; and another with a cover sold in our New York rooms, 8^th May 1981, lot 94. See also a related example in a five-piece altar set with Qianlong reign mark and of the period included in the exhibition China's Renaissance in Bronze. The Robert H. Clague Collection of Later Chinese Bronzes 1100-1900, Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, 1993, cat. no. 38.