Censer, China, Qing Dynasty, Qianlong period, late 18th century. Hand-glazed ceramic. Provenance

Censer, China, Qing Dynasty, Qianlong period, late 18th century.
Hand-glazed ceramic.
Provenance: American private collection.
Seal on the reverse
Measurement: 21 x 15 cm (inside diameter).
Censers have their origins in the Bronze Age, in the 2nd millennium BC, and developed mainly during the Shang (19th to 11th centuries BC) and Zhou (11th to 3rd centuries BC) dynasties. They were always ritual pieces, and therefore for the exclusive use of the ruling class or as grave goods. Bronze vessels were mainly used in sacrifices to ancestors, and also as a means of communication between heaven and earth, as well as in ceremonial banquets (propitiatory rites). In later times the bronze vessel would be very important, and it would be considered a good omen to find an ancient bronze, especially related to the legitimacy of the ruler. In fact, from the Han Dynasty (3rd century AD) onwards, they began to be treasured by rulers as symbols of political legitimacy.
The Ching or Qing Dynasty, also known as the Manchu Dynasty, was the last of the Chinese imperial dynasties. Founded in what is now northeastern China by the Manchu clan in 1644, its rule ended with the abdication of the last Emperor in 1912 by the Xinhai Revolution and the establishment of the Republic of China, all the while maintaining the capital at Beijing. In general, traditional art forms flourished in many different and varied levels and formats, thanks to a highly educated upper class, a thriving publishing industry of books, pamphlets, etc., really prosperous cities and the Confucian emphasis on cultivating the mind. While the Emperors themselves were often outstanding artists (especially in painting), the best work was done by scholars and the urban elite in calligraphy and painting, both areas of great interest to the court. Even cuisine was elevated as a source of cultural pride in this period, taking elements from the past and working on them to reach new heights.