A PAIR OF LARGE BRONZE TRIPOD INCENSE BURNERS AND COVERS QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

each massively cast, supported on three waisted feet issuing from the mouths of animals masks, the shoulders flanked with a pair of kui dragons, the domed cover pierced with eight trigrams and surmounted by an openwork finial of a dragon among clouds reaching for a 'flaming pearl'

Jonathan Bennett Antiques, London, 1990s.

Overall good condition, with just general surface wear and minor bruises and dents to the extremities.
"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."

Impressive for their large bulbous bodies finished to a lustrous patina, the form of these incense burners is derived from archaic ritual bronze ding vessels of the Western Zhou period (c.1050-771 BC) with their compressed globular body and cabriole legs issuing from the mouths of animals. They are also particularly notable for their decoration, which combines three separate traditions: the dragon from Chinese mythology, the pearl from Buddhist iconography, and the bagua ('Eight Trigrams') from Daoist philosophy. This design of the bagua on the cover of an incense burner is known on vessels from the Ming dynasty; see a tripod burner with curved upright handles, the body decorated with cranes flanking shou characters and the stepped cover with a band of 'cash' symbols, wan emblems and the Eight Trigrams radiating from the centre, sold at Christie's New York, 19th March 2008, lot 338; and a  Wanli mark and period blue and white censer with the Eight Trigrams encircling a dragon knop, but of rectangular section and standing on four legs, sold in our London rooms, 4th November 2009, lot 68.

Trigrams and Daoist symbolism have appeared on early Chinese bronzes since at least the Tang dynasty; see a Tang dynasty mirror, decorated with a central knob set within a square band enclosing the twelve characters enclosing the 'Twelve Branches' and a circle of the Eight trigrams, sold in our New York rooms, 16th/17th September 2014, lot 9192; and a Yuan dynasty vase cast with the eight trigrams around the body, from the collection of Paul Freeman, sold in our New York rooms, 21st March 2015, lot 759.