清十八世紀 銅嵌銀線「饕餮紋」雙耳三足爐 「子孫永保」字

of archaic ding form, patinated to a warm brown colour with greyish-green undertones, the rounded body supported on three tapering cylindrical legs, rising to a flat everted rim set with two pierced arched handles, inlaid with silver wires, the sides with three taotie heads, the legs with stylized cicada lappets, the rim with a band of continuous leiwen, repeated on the outer edge of the handles, the lip and upper edges of the handles both with a formalized floral scroll, the base inscribed in seal script Zisun yongbao ('For eternal protection of sons and grandsons'), with a tripod zitan stand carved in openwork with a lotus medallion and a zitan domed cover surmounted with a carnelian beribboned lotus root

The censer is in overall good condition with some minor dents to the inner rim, light oxidation to the silver wiring and natural malachite encrustation on the interior. The zitan cover has a few age cracks, with two of them stabilised with glue. The carnelian knop, which is possibly a later replacement, also has some few minor chips.
"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."

The decorative technique of silver-wire inlay on bronze first appeared during the late-Zhou dynasty, and was revived and became popular from the Song dynasty onwards when archaism became a main-stream style in the production of artefacts. The Ming period metal smith known as Shi Sou (Old man Shi) was famous for specializing in the production of bronze objects with inlaid designs, and his style became the precedent for later wares, made from the 17th century and throughout the Qing dynasty. See a robustly cast silver-wire inlaid tripod censer of this type, the base inlaid with the mark of Shi Sou sold in our New York rooms, 20th March 2007, lot 569; and a group of smaller scholar's objects signed by Shi Sou illustrated in Rose Kerr, Later Chinese Bronzes, London, 1990, pl. 50, consisting of a brush stand, vase, ink cake stand and a waterpot. See also a silver wire-inlaid archaistic bronze hu of generous proportions and pleasing finish, with a Shi Sou mark, published in Sydney L. Moss, The Second Bronze Age: Later Chinese Metalwork, London, 1991, pl. 61, together with further two pieces, a gu and a pear-shaped vase, both signed by Shi Sou, pls. 62 and 63.

The dark brown colouration of the bronze and the thin silver-wire inlaid motif is polished to a smooth and even layer, with the sharp edges of the inlay perfectly defined. This is in sharp contrast to that seen on Ming period examples where the silver is beaten into the bronze and the surface left uneven.