A bronze hand warmer and cover, signed Zhang Mingqi, 17th century | 十七世紀 銅透空錦紋蓋手爐 《張鳴岐製》款

A bronze hand warmer and cover, signed Zhang Mingqi

17th century

十七世紀 銅透空錦紋蓋手爐 《張鳴岐製》款

of squarish cushion form, set with a conforming swing handle and surmounted by a cover pierced with a floret-and-cloud diaper, the flat base incised with a four-character mark reading Zhang Mingqi zhi within a square, the bronze patinated to a warm honey-brown tone (2)

Width 4¼ in., 10.8 cm