A large blue and sancai appliqué-decorated tripod incense burner, Tang dynasty 唐 三彩加藍貼花獅弦紋三足爐

Property from the Xinyangtang Collection 心懩堂收藏
A large blue and sancai appliqué-decorated tripod incense burner,
Tang dynasty
唐 三彩加藍貼花獅弦紋三足爐

h. 19 cm, w. 23 cm

Condition Report:
A few minor rim chips restored (largest approx. 3x1.5cm). Some expected retouching and overpaint to the glaze and on the appliqué decorations. Minor retouching to where the feet join the body, suggesting possible consolidation/restoration.

口沿見少許小磕經修（最大約3x1.5公分）。釉面及貼花處見些許潤飾，究其種類屬正常。三足連接器身處見些許潤飾，或經加固／經修。

Catalogue Note:
In the 289 years of Tang dynastic rule (618–907), the most successful and sought-after pieces were sancai ware, literally 'three-colour ware', creating a colour scheme that eventually became a staple for Chinese ceramics and remained popular long after many additional glaze colours had become available.

In the 8th century, the palette was dramatically enriched by introducing a deep cobalt blue, a rare and valuable pigment introduced to China from West Asia. The brilliant blue colour was quickly used in ceramics, both in single-colour glazes and as an addition to the three-colour glazes of the Tang dynasty.

See a related incense burner without the blue glaze from the Herzman Collection and now preserved in the Metropolitan Museum (accession Number: 1991.253.5).

大唐文藝蓬勃，彼時陶匠皆務求創新，工藝越見奇巧，色系更趨豐富。三彩陶器彩色清麗怡人，濃淡斑駁，尤顯變幻之美，成為中國陶瓷一大品種，即使後世創新色釉品種不斷，卻仍可獨占一席，流傳千載而不衰。三彩器中以施藍彩者最受推崇，藍彩始用於唐代約八世紀，其時鈷料極純，需從中東進口，珍貴無比。可參考赫茨曼伉儷藏一相類例，後捐贈於紐約大都會博物館，館藏編號：1991.253.5。

Provenance:
Hung Wu Antiques, Hong Kong, 29th September 1999.
Collection of Jibo Tang (The Hall in memory of Cypress).
Christie's New York, 14th September 2018, lot 1271.
Lam & Co Antiquities, Hong Kong, 2018.

來源：
洪武古美術，香港，1999年9月29日
紀柏堂收藏
紐約佳士得2018年9月14日，編號1271
松豐堂，香港，2018年