A LARGE GOLD-SPLASHED BRONZE INCENSE BURNER AND STAND TIANNIANTANG ZHI HALL MARK, LATE MING – EARLY QING DYNASTY

massively cast of compressed globular form, resting on a slightly concave countersunk base and rising to an incurving lipped rim, the shoulders flanked by a pair of protruding mythical beast heads suspending loose rings, liberally applied with irregular gold splashes of various sizes, the base with a four-character hall mark in a square cartouche in seal script reading Tiannian tang zhi, the circular stand cast with a pierced top and raised on three feet terminating in protruding roundels, similarly splashed overall with gold

Bonhams San Francisco, 20th November 2006, lot 6259.
J.J. Lally & Co., New York.

The incense burner and stand are preserved in unusually good condition. The stand: minor scratching, bruising and rubbing to the gilding where the incense burner stands. There are minute bruises and dents to the underside, especially the tips of the three feet. Incense burner: scratching and bruises to the footrim where it sits on the stand. Oxidisation to the underside of the stand and interior of the incense burner.
"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 a large gold-splashed incense burner of this size and quality, preserved with its matching stand. The proliferation of gold splashes suggests the present piece was made with no cost spared and for the table of a high-ranking official or an important scholar-literati. The stand adds an element of softness to the overall object. A gui-shaped incense burner of similar quality, preserved with its stand, was sold in these rooms, 8th October 2013, lot 3294.

The origins of gold-splash decoration remains a subject of speculation. Gerard Tsang and Hugh Moss in Arts from the Scholar's Studio, Hong Kong, 1986, p. 184, mention that the popularity of this surface decoration was possibly fostered by Xuande bronzes of the Ming dynasty where the appearance of the gilt-splashes was caused by the uneven surface patination of the vessel. Some scholars have linked gilt-splashed decoration on bronzes to the influence of the iron-brown splashes, known as tobi seiji, applied to qingbai and 'Longquan' wares of the Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties.

R. Soame Jenyns and William Watson in Chinese Art. The Minor Arts, London, 1963, p. 116, illustrate a bronze double vase with gold inlay in the form of splashes, pl. 50, which the authors describe as "decorated with elaborately simulated patches of apparent corrosion, the rough projecting parts consisting of pure gold, resembling un-worked nuggets and grains, inserted into the bronze".

Compare the gold-splashed decoration on a bronze tripod incense burner from the J. de Lopes bequest and now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, illustrated in Rose Kerr, Later Chinese Bronzes, London, 1990, pl. 15 (right). See also a gold-splashed tripod incense burner from the collection of Ulrich Hausmann, sold in these rooms, 8th October 2014, lot 3407, and another from the collection of Robert E. Kresko, sold in these rooms, 6th April 2016, lot 3671.