A GOLD-SPLASHED BRONZE LOBED TRIPOD INCENSE BURNER, LIDING

17th/18th century

17th/18th century
The compressed body of lobed form raised on three low feet and set with two upright loop handles on the neck, the exterior decorated with irregular splashes of gold, with pierced wood and ivory cover and brocade stand. 14.5cm (5 5/8in) wide (3).

十七/十八世紀 銅灑金朝冠耳三足鼎爐

The unusual archaistic form of the present incense burner, modified into an three-lobed body, may have been based on an earlier design introduced during the later phases of the Ming dynasty as a variation to the classic forms of earlier periods; see P.Moss, Documentary Chinese Works of Art in Scholar's Taste, London, 1983, p.232.

A related gold-splashed bronze lobed incense burner, Qing dynasty, cast with a compressed body of hexalobed form and upright handles, was sold at Bonhams, 13 May 2021, lot 84.