A RARE LARGE DATED SANCAI-GLAZED POTTERY ‘DRAGON’ CENSER

A RARE LARGE DATED SANCAI-GLAZED POTTERY ‘DRAGON’ CENSER
DATED WANLI 40TH YEAR BY INSCRIPTION, CORRESPONDING TO 1612 AND OF THE PERIOD
The exterior of the censer is boldly carved in high relief around the sides with a pair of scaly four-clawed dragons emerging from clouds and confronted below a black flaming pearl on the neck, with a yellow ruyi collar pendent from the upright rim incised in a panel on one side with the dated inscription, Da Mingguo Wanli sishi nian suici renzi jiyue zhizao, ‘Made in the auspicious month of the renzi cycle in the 40th year of the Wanli reign of the Great Ming dynasty’, flanked by a pair of upright handles carved with a vertical ribbed band between a ruyi terminal below and another overhanging above, all supported on three cabriole legs emerging from lion-masks.
21 in. (53.5 cm.) high, wood stand, wood cover with soapstone finial

Provenance
Falk Collection, no. 57
Sold at Christie’s New York, 16 October 2001, lot 150