清道光 / 咸豐 銀局部鎏金饕餮紋鼎式爐 《定府行有恒堂珍賞》款

of compressed globular form rising to a waisted neck and everted rim surmounted by upright loop handles supported on three cylindrical legs, the exterior with three high-relief taotie masks separated by vertical flanges above a ground of leiwen with slightly raised centers all between narrow upper and lower bands, the masks, flanges, and bands gilt, the walls and legs cast hollow, with a six-character seal mark incised to the base Dingfu Xingyouhengtang zhenshang (installed in the [Prince's] official residence, the Hall of Constancy, to be treasured and enjoyed)

Philip Edward Howard (1929-2016) 收藏

The eye of one of the masks slightly punctured. Otherwise, the censer is in overall good condition with expected wear to the surface and scattered dents, particularly to the rims, consistent with age.
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.

The Xingyouhengtang ('Hall of Constancy') seal mark identifies the censer as having belonged to the Fifth Prince Ding, Zaiquan of the Qing dynasty. Xingyouhengtang was the prince's main residence in the Forbidden City. Zaiquan was the great-great-grandson of the Qianlong Emperor and had a distinguished career in the service of the court until his death in 1854. The prince was a keen art collector and appears to have made it a habit to have his hall mark inscribed on his artifacts. His collector's seal with the same six-character inscription appears on a Yuan dynasty painting by Qian Xuan titled Laiqin zhizi tu (Crabapple and Gardenia), now in the collection of the Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution. For his biography see Arthur W. Hummel, Eminent Chinese of the Ch’ing Period, Taipei, 1991, pp. 728–729.