A LARGE PARCEL-GILT BRONZE 'PEACH' INCENSE BURNER AND COVER MING DYNASTY

integrally cast in the form of a hollow peach issuing from a gnarled branch bearing smaller buds and gilt lanceolate leaves, the circular pierced cover cast with further smaller peaches and gilt leaves born on thin twigs, the base cast with a six-character Xuande mark, the bronze patinated to a rich dark brown tone

Lempertz, Cologne, 28th/29th November 1986, lot 1060.

There is general surface wear and minor scratches. There are minor chips to the inner flange, Loss of gilding to the vessel, as visible in the catalogue photo. Extensive areas of oxidisation, but overall incense burner and cover are in good condition.
"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."

Large incense burners cast in the form of fruit appear to have originated in the early Ming dynasty (1368-1644) as evidenced by an exquisite melon shape cloisonné enamel incense burner attributed to the Xuande period, from the Qing Court collection and still in Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Metal-bodied Enamel Ware, Hong Kong, 2002, pl. 34. Such fruit-shape vessels are likely to also have been produced in bronze during the Xuande reign as suggested by a large peach-form censer of the Qing dynasty, but lacking the cover, and cast with a six-character Xuande reign mark, sold in our London rooms, 4th May 1984, lot 461. See also an incense burner in the form of three conjoined peaches, also with a Xuande reign mark, sold in our New York rooms, 20th March 2007, lot 573.

Ulrich Hausmann’s notes on this exceptional incense burner read as follows:

“Peach incense burners are usually made from separately cast pieces, e.g. fruit, branches, legs and then assembled into one object, but the present example is one of only two integrally cast bronze peach censers that I have seen in my time as a collector. It is almost certainly made from a lost wax process, cast as one unit. Thus it is a unique piece as the original form is destroyed in the casting process. This process, also widely used in the West, was already known to Chinese artisans more than two thousand years ago. The body of the incense burner is hollow, the incense emerging through the open work lid and the trunk of the branch. The vessel is cast with a six-character Xuande reign mark. The artistic quality, the technical skill, the superb patination, and the exceptional size would strongly point to it being produced in the Palace Workshops. In forty five years of collecting, I have not seen any peach censer approaching this quality - it must be as rare as the celebrated peaches of Xi Wangmu".