A RARE POLYCHROME INCISED AND FILLED-IN LACQUER INCENSE STAND (XIANGJI) MING DYNASTY, 17TH CENTURY

the large circular top finely incised and gilt with a writhing dragon weaving around a circular shou emblem on a ground of clouds, the edge with fret design and the waist with cartouches of fretwork and bats, resting on a wide bombé apron decorated with dragons and shou emblems among clouds, the cabriole legs smoothly joined to the apron and curving inward to the end with curled toes, on a removable circular plinth decorated similarly to the top, standing on ruyi-shaped feet (2)

Formerly in the Daxiongbaodian (Hall of the Great Heroes) of the Danzhe Temple, Beijing.
Acquired in Beijing in the 1920s.
Property from a Private West Coast Collector.
Sotheby's New York, 28th and 29th September 1989, lot 399.

On loan to the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada.

Helmut Brinker and Albert Lutz, Chinese Cloisonné: The Pierre Uldry Collection, New York, 1989, p. 53, fig. 29.

The top has been off the shoulder and reaffixed. There are restored cracks and breaks to the shoulder/apron area. There are repaired breaks across all the legs at varying heights and the ends of the scroll feet are restored. The feet under the base are all restored or replaced. There are typical cracks in the top and some patches have been repainted. The top of the base has been reaffixed to the apron. The surface has a matt and weathered appearance overall. The top of the base section is less weathered and appears to have more of its original surface remaining.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Incense stands such as the present example were used both in religious as well as secular contexts as contemporaneous paintings and prints illustrate. Often positioned in the center of a room, such stands supporting incense burners were designed with great attention to detail and form, pleasing to the eye from any angle. Round stands were particularly attractive and and exuded solidity and grace. The present example and the next lot, originally occupied a central position in one of the halls of the Danzhe Temple in Beijing. Related stands of Ming date are discussed in Sarah Handler, Austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical Furniture, Berkeley and Los Angeles, 2001, pp. 295-302.