A LARGE AND RARE JUNYAO PURPLE-SPLASHED TRIPOD INCENSE BURNER JIN – YUAN DYNASTY

well potted with a compressed globular body rising to a constricted neck and wide everted mouth, the bulbous body applied with a pair of mythical beast masks, alternating with a pair of high rectangular arch-handles modelled as human figures with rudimentary outlines, the neck decorated with two anthropoid motifs echoing the handles and interrupted by small florets, all supported on three cabriole legs, applied with an unctuous opaque milky-blue glaze liberally decorated with splashes of variegated purple, the glaze draining to a pale mushroom tone at the edges and extremities and stopping short of the tips of the legs showcasing the pink-tinged grey body

Robert Hatfield Ellsworth, New York, acquired before 1990.

The Grandeur of Chinese Art Treasures: Min Chiu Society Golden Jubilee Exhibition, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 2010-11, cat. no. 110.

The incense burnerr is in very good condition with the exception of small rim flakes, the largest measuring 0.8cm wide. There is also a 1cm detached flake to the unglazed tip of the foot. There is characteristic minor crazing to the glaze and some firing imperfections.
"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."

This large Junyao incense burner, with its thick luminous glaze and brilliant splashes, is a fine example of its type. Wares from the Juntai kiln site in Yu county, Henan province, an area formerly known as Junzhou, are remarkable for their luscious thick glazes of intense colouration which can vary from light to deep turquoise blue. In the early 12th century potters began applying splashes of deep purplish-red derived from copper to the glaze before firing, resulting in patches of purple, lavender and tones of deep blue on the primary milky-blue glaze. As seen on this piece, these splashes often had a strong calligraphic quality and added a flamboyant effect to the vessel that was of immense appeal to the literati and nobility of the time.

Junyao incense burners of this shape and with moulded designs are generally attributed to the Yuan dynasty due to their similarities with a much larger incense burner dated in accordance to 1309, excavated at Huhehot in Inner Mongolia, and illustrated in Sekai toji zenshu/ Ceramic Art of the World, vol. 13, Tokyo, 1981, col. pl. 103.

A similar incense burner, but lacking the splashes is illustrated in Porcelain Unearthed from Jininglu Ancient City Site in Inner Mongolia, Beijing, 2004, pl. 89; another from the collections of George Eumorfopoulos and Montague Meyer, was sold at Christie’s London, 14th April 1980, lot 250, and again in these rooms, 29th April 1997, lot 508; two were sold in our London rooms, the first from the collection of Mrs E. Bennett, 24th May 1955, lot 148, and the second from the W.W. Winkworth Collection, 12th September 1972, lot 31; and a slightly smaller example was included in the Min Chiu Society exhibition An Anthology of Chinese Ceramics, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1980, cat. no. 36, and sold in these rooms, 29th November 1976, lot 434. See also a larger incense burner of this type in the Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, illustrated in The Complete Works of Chinese Ceramics, Shanghai, 2000, pl. 207; and another illustrated in Splendour of Ancient Chinese Art. Selections from the Collections of T.T. Tsui Galleries of Chinese Art Worldwide, Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 28, and sold at Christie's New York, 22nd April 1999, lot 260.