Brûle-parfum chimère en bronze doré incrusté de pierres dures Chine, dynastie Qing, époque Qianlong (1736-1795)

en forme de lion bouddhiste aux yeux exorbités, la gueule ouverte laissant apparaître les crocs, la crinière finement ciselée, le corps agrémenté de rayures et lingzhi incrustés de pierres dures, un oiseau aux ailes déployées perché sur son dos, son plumage chamarré incrusté de pierres dures multicolores ; petits manques

Elaborately inlaid yingxiong ('champion') censers of this type, in the form of a mythical beast surmounted by an eagle, are rare. Only one other example, but cast with the beast and bird facing forward, appears to be known, the piece sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 23^rd October 2005, lot 396.

Compare similarly embellished gilt-bronze censers in the form of a beast but with a funnel-shaped opening on its back, such as one in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the Special Exhibition of Incense Burners and Perfumers Throughout the Dynasties, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1994, cat. no. 119; one formerly in the Herbert R. Bishop collection and exhibited in the National Academy of Design Exhibition, 1983, sold in our New York rooms, 20^th/21^st November 1973, lot 39, again at Christie's London, 15^th June 1999, lot 105, and a third time in our New York rooms, 18^th September 2007, lot 140; and its pair, sold twice at Christie's Hong Kong, 30^th April 2000, lot 564, and again, 29^th November 2005, lot 1584. 

The history of inlaying materials with coloured stones in China dates to the late Neolithic period when objects made of clay, lacquered wood and bone were inlaid with jade and turquoise. By the Shang dynasty (c.160-1050BC) turquoise inlay became a dominant decorative technique used on weaponry and plaques. This technique was further developed during the Zhou (c. 1050-256BC) and Han (206BC – 220AD) dynasties with the production of vessels decorated with gold, silver and semi-precious stones. The present censer is clearly inspired by archaic inlaid vessels and is a contemporary version of this rich and colourful technique.

The image of an eagle perched on a mythical beast was a popular motif in the Ming dynasty and forms the rebus for bravery.