A BRONZE ARCHAISTIC TRIPOD INCENSE BURNER, LIAN QING DYNASTY, 17TH / 18TH CENTURY

cast with a slightly bulging cylindrical body encircled with three triple-fillets borders alternating with two bands incised with the beribboned attributes of the Eight Immortals, above a border of eight bats hovering among clouds, all supported on three baluster feet, the base inscribed with an apocryphal six-character Xuande mark within a recessed panel

There are some minute dents and surface scratches, predominantly around the mouth rim and on the base. Otherwise the incense burner is 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."

A closely related Xuande reign-marked incense burner of lian form with similar incised decoration was included in the exhibition China's Renaissance in Bronze. The Robert H. Clague Collection of Later Chinese Bronzes 1100-1900, Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, 1993, cat. no. 24. Compare also another Xuande reign-marked incense burner decorated with pine, prunus and bamboo, illustrated in Sydney L. Moss, The Second Bronze Age: Later Chinese Metalwork, London, 1991, no. 50, where the authors date it to the 16th/17th century.