Until 1st May, 2025
Buy it now
A BRONZE ‘MYTHICAL BEASTS’ CENSER, HU WENMING, CHINA, 16TH-17TH CENTURY
Lot 364 - FAS0425
The censer is securely mounted on a reticulated bronze stand with five ruyi-shaped feet. It is also fitted with a cover featuring a Buddhist lion handle and a band of ruyi heads and scrollwork. Both the stand and cover are later additions, crafted from a brass alloy, and dating to the late Qing Dynasty. (3)
Of archaistic gui form, the compressed body rests on a flared circular foot, the exterior boldly chased in relief with a dynamic scene: each side features a winged dragon soaring between a qilin and a leonine mythical beast, likely a xiezhai, all set against a finely rendered diaper-pattern ground. The upper band presents a striking frieze of two confronting bird-headed kui-type dragons enclosing a highly stylized taotie mask composed of ruyi motifs, a design echoed along the outer foot rim. The vessel is flanked by two zoomorphic handles emerging from dragon heads.
Provenance: From an old private estate in northern France.
Condition: The censer in good condition, commensurate with age, showing significant old wear, expected casting irregularities, small dents, few nicks, light surface scratches. The gilding is almost completely worn off. The interior with small areas of verdigris. The later cover and base with manufacturing irregularities including minuscule casting cracks, minor warping, and the finial loose.
Weight: 1.7 kg
Dimensions: Length 17.1 cm (handle to handle)
Hu Wenming is one of the most renowned metalworkers in Chinese history and one of the few whose name and style are discussed in Chinese art-historical writing. Most of the works attributed to Hu Wenming are scholarly objects, such as incense burners and brush pots, by densely worked backgrounds covered with naturalistic and other motifs cast in high relief.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Near identical
Auction: Zacke, Vienna, 25 April 2020, lot 14
Price: EUR 27,808 or approx. EUR 35,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Hu Wenming censer, Ming dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the near-identical form, decoration, manner of casting, and size (17.5 cm).
Natural Light Images for Logged-in Users Only
You can find images of this item taken under natural daylight below. Click on an image to zoom in or save.
If there are no natural light images for this item, please email us at office@zacke.at or use the request form below.
Log in or sign up to view the natural light images.
Click here to request more information on this lot.
How to Buy Online
You must log in or create an online account in order to buy items from the shop.
Click the red 'Buy it Now' button to buy this item. You will then be able to download your invoice and receive instructions about how to pay. Prices include Buyer's Premium.
If you would like to buy multiple items at the same time, add the items you want to your cart. You will then be able to check out with multiple items simultaneously.
Items in your cart are not reserved. Please complete the purchase process promptly to secure the items.
How to Buy Offline
If you would like to buy one of these items outside of the online shop, please contact us at office@zacke.at or +43 (1) 532 04 52.
Our Terms and Conditions
As part of our ongoing efforts to keep our auctions fair and transparent, we encourage you to read our terms and conditions thoroughly. We urge you to read through §34-50) to ensure you understand them. These terms are specifically designed to protect all serious and committed buyers from bidding against non-payers who attempt to inflate prices without the intent of paying their auction bills.
For further reading about non-payers at auction, go here: https://www.zacke.at/aboutnonpayers/.
The main points include the following:
- Bidders must complete their due diligence and clarify all questions about the objects before the auction. After the auction, Zacke will not answer questions from bidders unless the purchase price has been paid in full. Of course, this does not apply to questions concerning shipping, insurance, customs, etc.
- A sale cancellation of any kind after the fall of the hammer is not possible. The only exception to this fundamental rule is our guarantee of authenticity [the Guarantee].
- A Guarantee Claim, however, can only be raised after the purchase price has been paid in full by the buyer and within 45 days after the auction day.
If you have any questions about our policies, please get in touch with us at office@zacke.at.
By placing a bid, you agree to our Terms of Auction and Terms and Conditions.
