A LARGE CLOISONNE ENAMEL 'QILIN' CENSER MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG

the plump beast cast standing four-square, the cover forming the head, its ferocious facial expression formed from bulging eyes, thick, furled eyebrows and mouth open revealing sharp fangs, surmounted by two pointed ears pricked up and a flaring horn, falling back towards the beast's short tail, decorated overall in bright cloisonné enamels with leafy lotus scrolls and further embellished by gilt scrolling and spiral designs, with a hinge connecting the head and body and incised with the six-character mark

There is some wear to the gilding and minute losses to the enameling as well as minor pitting throughout the piece. The overall condition is very good.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Auspicious animals such as the qilin were placed beside or in front of a throne and were part of a set of imperial court assemblage commonly known as 'the throne group'. In addition to the censer and the throne, a pair of elephants each with a vase on their back (symbolising peace), a standing fan, and a pair of vertical censers were usually placed before a throne screen. As qilin were said to appear only in areas where a wise and benevolent leader was present, and when the ranks of officialdom emulated the ruler's high standard of conduct, the burned sandalwood emitted from the censers helped to evoke a solemn atmosphere of imperial order. Although it looks fearsome, the qilin protected the innocent and punished only the wicked, spouting fearsome flames from its mouth and exercising various fearsome powers.

It is rare to find cloisonné qilin censers with a Qianlong mark and decorated with a floral design, although three were sold in our London rooms, 15^th June 1976, lot 40; another, 7^th October 1974, lot 171; and the third, 2^nd February 1960, lot 130. For very similar examples of these censers from the Qing period but without a reign mark, see a pair from the Palace Museum, Beijing, included in the exhibition Splendours of China's Forbidden City. The Glorious Reign of Emperor Qianlong, The Field Museum, Chicago, 2004, cat. no. 37, and published in situ at Qianqing men (Gate of Heavenly Purity), on the cover of Qingdai Gongting Shenghuo. LIfe in the Palace During the Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong, 1985; a pair sold in our New York rooms, 31^st May 1994, lot 221; and another sold in our London rooms, 2^nd February 1960, lot 131. It is more common to find qilin censers decorated with scales, such as the one sold at Christie's New York, 29^th March 2006, lot 311; and another sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 1^st November 2004, lot 908. A pair of censers, from one of the imperial throne halls in the Palace, depicted in situ is included in Zhongguo yuqi quanji, vol. 6, Shijiazhuang, 1993, pl. 365; and another pair adorning the throne. 

It is not possible to determine a precise period when this form of mythical beast incense burner was first developed. However, a woodblock print from the Shizhu Zhai zhen cang jianpu (Antiquities in the Collection of Shizhu Zhai), first published in 1645 and illustrated in Chinese Bamboo Carving, Part I, Hong Kong, 1978, p. 179, fig 15, shows a closely related mythical beast vessel. An example of a cloisonné qilin censer from the Wanli period (1572-1620) is illustrated in Zhongguo jinyin boli falang qi quanji, vol. 5, Hebei, 2002, pl. 22.