A BRONZE CYLINDRICAL INCENSE BURNER, LIAN MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG

of archaistic lian form, the cylindrical body supported on three cabriole feet, the exterior centred with a band of three raised ribs, all between two raised bands of triple-ribs encircling the rim and above the feet, the base cast with a six-character reign mark within a recessed panel, the surface with an attractive reddish-brown patina suffused with light brown speckles 

Pat Bedford Antiques, London, 1970s.

Overall good condition, with just minute bruises to the rim and tips of the legs. The actual colour of the patina is less red than in the catalogue photo, where it has emerged with too much of an intense crimson-red colour.
"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."

It is extremely rare to find Qianlong reign-marked bronze incense burners of this form, designed for daily use, as opposed to the more commonly found garniture vases produced for temples. Its rich reddish-brown patina and exquisite tactile quality rank it amongst the finest examples of its type in private hands. For two other incense burners of gui form cast with closely related Qianlong six-character kaishu marks in the Palace Museum, Beijing, see Classics of the Forbidden City. Splendors from the Yongle and Xuande Reigns of China's Ming Dynasty, Beijing, 2012, pp. 268-269, pls. 148-9. See also a burner of fangding form, also from the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated by Chan Hou Seng (ed.), Views of Antiquity in the Qing Imperial Palace, Macau Museum of Art, Macau, p. 52, pl. 1. An almost identical lian vessel cast with a Xuande six-character reign mark, from the collection of Ulrich Hausmann, was sold in these rooms, 8th October 2014, lot 3306. 

The specific form of this lian vessel appears to derive from the Xuande Yiqi Tupu ('The illustrated register of vessels from the Xuande era')(fig.1), the Ming dynasty work on Xuande bronzes that was widely available in the Qianlong period. The prototype for all lian is from Han dynasty cosmetic boxes found in tombs of high ranking members of the aristocracy. For a gilt-bronze prototype of similar form, with the same horizontal fillets, see the example in the Smithsonian Institution, Gift of Arthur M. Sackler, S1987.341a-b. The aesthetic of the current vessel is more restrained, lacking the ring-handles and cover, and with plain, cabriole feet where the Han dynasty example has separately cast miniature bears comprising the feet.