A CLOISONNE ENAMEL AND GILT-BRONZE ‘DUCK’ INCENSE BURNER AND COVER MING DYNASTY, 16TH CENTURY |

well cast in the form of a duck standing on its right webbed foot with the left raised, atop an associated 16th century gilt-bronze stepped beaded-edged pedestal with a pendent lotus border, the bird depicted with its gilt-bronze head slightly turned to the left with its beak rendered agape and revealing its slender tongue, inlaid with beaded yellow eyes in paste, the exterior of the hollow body, neck and upturned tail brightly enamelled with undulating streaks of plumage, the cover forming the back of the bird and similarly rendered with bright plumage, centred with a pierced circular aperture in the form of a cash coin

The Oriental Art Gallery Ltd, London, 1995.
Collection of David B. Peck III.
Christie's New York, 18th September 2014, lot 604.

Oriental Works of Art, The Oriental Art Gallery Ltd, London, 1995, cat. no. 116.

The current incense burner was at some point detached from its pedestal, and has been recently matched with another 16th century base. There are small areas of retouching to the enamels, and some minor consolidation where the legs meet the body. Other general surface wear and minor bruising.
"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."

It is rare to find a Ming dynasty Imperial cloisonné enamel incense burner of this high quality, created in the form of a mandarin duck. Another closely related example from the Qing Court collection, depicted standing on a stylised lotus leaf, preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Metal-bodied Enamel Ware, Hong Kong, 2002, pl. 76. The overall structure, modelling technique and precise treatment of the enamelled design and specific details including the poised webbed feet, closely relate to the current example. Compare also the cloisonné enamel ‘mandarin duck’ incense burner sold in these rooms, 3rd April 2018, lot 3448, from the Speelman collection. For another Ming dynasty bird-form incense burner, see a cloisonné enamel example in the form of a waterfowl in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Enamel Ware in the Ming and Ch'ing Dynasties, Taipei, 1999, pl. 42.  See also a goose-form incense burner, lacking its pedestal, from the collection of David David-Weill and now in Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, is illustrated in Beatrice Quette, ed., Cloisonné. Chinese Enamels from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, New York, 2011, p. 277, cat. no. 104.