- 560
AN ARABIC-INSCRIBED BRONZE INCENSE SET 16TH / 17TH CENTURY
Estimate
40,000 - 60,000 USD
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Description
- bronze
comprising a tripod censer cast with a four-character Zhengde seal mark; a pear-shaped vase with a pair of loop handles; a circular box and cover; a spatula, all with Arabic inscriptions on granulated grounds within shaped panels; and a pair of bamboo-form chopsticks, the bronze patinated to a warm reddish-brown color (7)
Provenance
Sotheby's London, 26th June 1973, lot 76.
Condition
The cover of the box has a slight indentation to the rim on one side. The vase has a metal nail stuck to the inside. Otherwise, all pieces are in overall good condition with expected wear, accretions, and small scattered dents to the surface, consistent with age and use.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
The inscriptions found on the present vessels are written in sini script, a Chinese Islamic calligraphic form for the Arabic script which was developed in the early Ming dynasty. It is used extensively in mosques in Eastern China with notable examples found in the mihrab of the Niujue mosque, Beijing.
A complete incense set of this type, decorated with Arabic inscriptions, such as the present lot, is rare although a similar set is illustrated in Liu Xirong, Zhongding mingxiang. Rongzhai qinggong zhenshang, vol. 3, Beijing, 2013, pp 94-95. Another closely related set, but slightly smaller in size, was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 30th November 2016, lot 3394, and a third set was offered in our Hong Kong rooms, 30th October 1991, lot 315.
A complete incense set of this type, decorated with Arabic inscriptions, such as the present lot, is rare although a similar set is illustrated in Liu Xirong, Zhongding mingxiang. Rongzhai qinggong zhenshang, vol. 3, Beijing, 2013, pp 94-95. Another closely related set, but slightly smaller in size, was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 30th November 2016, lot 3394, and a third set was offered in our Hong Kong rooms, 30th October 1991, lot 315.