Rare paire de grands brûle-parfums Impériaux couverts archaïsants en bronze chine, dynastie qing, marque et époque qianlong (1736-1795)

le corps globulaire reposant sur trois pieds cabriolets agrémentés de masques d'animaux fabuleux, le pourtour très délicatement sculpté de masques de taotie dans des rinceaux géométriques sur fond de leiwen, le couvercle en forme de dôme ajouré à décor de masques de taotie, surmonté d'une prise en forme de lion bouddhiste assis, chacun portant une marque à six caractères au col, les anses mouvementées sculptées séparément (8)

The two censers are each composed of 5 separate parts (body with legs, handles, cover and lion finial). They each are extremely heavy. Both censers and covers are in overall very good condition. The surface is patinated to a dark grey colour, the casting very detailed and crisp. The lion finial on one cover is loose and the tail has broken off and was resoldered in the past.
"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 present pair of bronze censers are of impressive size and weight, the casting of the archaistic design extremely fine and crisp. The large size of the vessels would have allowed for an impressive display, making them an important feature of the architectural context. Each censer is cast with a six-character Qianlong reign mark which suggests that they are likely to have been commissioned to the order of the Qing court for the furnishings of the Imperial palace grounds, as can be seen from a number of similarly large bronze censers placed at the entrance of Taihe Dian (Hall of Great Harmony), one of the most important halls in the Forbidden City, illustrated in situ in Qingdai gongting shenghuo, Beijing, 1985, pp. 16-17; further examples of large bronze censers with covers can be found located in other parts of the palace grounds, compare four censers flanking the entrance of the Qianqing Gong (Palace of Heavenly Purity), illustrated in Wan-go Weng and Yang Boda, The Palace Museum Peking. Treasures of the Forbidden City, London, 1982, p. 51, and at the Cining Gong (Mansion of Motherly Tranquility), published in Chuimei Ho, Splendors of China's Forbidden City: The Glorious Reign of Emperor Qianlong, Chicago, 2004, pl. 207.

Further compare a closely related censer but lacking its cover, sold at Christie's New York, 22^nd July 2007, lot 201; another example sold in our London rooms, 10^th December 1991, lot 46; bronze censers of this form were also made as the centrepiece for a five-piece altar garniture, flanked by a pair of candlesticks and two vases, see a complete bronze garniture of similarly large size finely cast with the design of dragons chasing flaming pearls on the main body, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 11^th April 2008, lot 2826.