A RARE IMPERIAL CLOISONNE ENAMEL TRIPOD CENSER AND COVER (YAN) QIANLONG MARK AND PERIOD

the upper body with deep, rounded sides, enameled with pendant blade panels containing taotie masks, all below key-fret, 'T'-scroll, wan-fret and taotie bands, the rim fitted with a gilt border and surmounted by two gilt handles, the interior with a liner, all supported on a bulging lobed base decorated with taotie masks and scrolls, standing on three gilt legs, the cover decorated with bands of taotie masks and scrolls and topped with a gilt bud finial, the base cast with a four-character mark in relief (2)

Removed from China in the late 19th Century and thence by descent.

The mouth rim and handles, and the finial are replacements. The legs, lower part of the body, interior of the cover and liner have been regilded. There are various areas of loss and pitting to the enamels overall . There is a larger section of loss to one taotie mask above the leg, and chips to the enamel on the edge of the bulging lobed base. There are scattered areas of fill. The top section has been reattached. There is a dent to the rim of the liner and corrosion to the base of the interior. One handle is bent.
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.

For a similar yan of smaller size with similar design elements and a Qianlong mark in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, see Enamel Ware in the Ming and Qing Dynasty, Taiwan, 1999, p. 141, no. 58. For another example in the Palace Museum, Beijing, see Cloisonné Enamel Ware, The Complete Collection of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2002, no. 114.

An almost identical yan, quite possibly the pair to the present lot, was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 28th November 2005, lot 1598.