China, 1573-1619. Heavily potted, the body of rectangular form with four graduated square in-curved legs, the body applied with two animal mask handles, lively painted with twelve five-clawed dragons amongst clouds and flames, the stepped cover with bands of ruyi scrolls and trigrams, below a pierced dragon finial. The base with an underglaze-blue six-character mark da Ming Wanli nianzhi within a double rectangular and of the period.

Provenance: From the estate of Ivar Björnberg (1934-2021), who was a noted art director from Stockholm, Sweden. He was friends with Victoria Lindström, a reputed dealer and collector of Chinese art, also based in Stockholm at the time. Björnberg worked at her gallery at a young age and when he eventually started his own collection, she mentored him. His collection was an academic one and it showed his keen eye, discerning taste and great passion for the aesthetics of Chinese art.
Condition: The vessel with smoothened losses to mask handles and small chips to edges, both with old fills and touchups. The lid with one section of the cover broken off and reattached, associated overpainting, and small chips to edges with old fills and touchups.

Weight: 757 g
Dimensions: Height 13.5 cm, Length 13.5 cm

Literature comparison:
See a similar censer, but lacking a cover, in the Idemitsu Museum of Arts, illustrated in Imperial overglaze - Enamelled Wares in the Late Ming Dynasty, Osaka, 1995, pl. 735, and another from the collection of Gustaf Hillestrom, Stockholm, included in the exhibition Ming Blue-and-white, The Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm, 1964, cat. no. 75.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 17 March 2017, lot 1187
Price: USD 25,000 or approx. EUR 27,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare blue and white rectangular censer, Wanli six-character mark within a double rectangle and of the period
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, decoration, and mark, as well as the near-identical size (13.5 cm). Note that the vessel has condition issues (ring handles missing, firing crack to corner with associated shallow chips, one re-stuck, shallow chip to one rim corner, and another shallow chip above one foot, expected small glaze flakes, frits and burst bubbles). Also note the missing cover.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s London, 4 November 2009, lot 68
Price: GBP 39,650 or approx. EUR 64,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A blue and white dragon censer and cover, Ming dynasty, Wanli mark and period
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, decoration, and mark. Note the slightly larger size (16.2 cm). Also note that this piece has significant condition issues and is extensively restored, the condition report is available online.



萬曆款與年代青花龍紋爐
中國，1573-1619年。厚胎，器身長方形，四足內勾，器身施獸面紋，描繪十二條五爪雲龍戲珠，階梯蓋繪如意八卦紋，在穿孔的龍尖下方。底部青花“大明萬曆年製”六字款。

來源：知名瑞典斯德哥爾摩藝術經銷商Ivar Björnberg (1934-2021年)舊藏。他與著名的中國藝術品經銷商和收藏家Victoria Lindström是好友，後者當時也居住在斯德哥爾摩。 Björnberg 年輕時在她的畫廊工作，當他最終開始自己的收藏時，她給了他很多建議。 他的收藏是學術性的，顯示了他敏銳的眼光、挑剔的品味和對中國藝術美學的極大熱情。
品相：邊緣有缺損但已變得平滑，有小修補和填充。蓋子的一部分曾斷裂並重新連接，邊緣有填充和小修。

重量：757 克
尺寸：高 13.5 厘米，長13.5 厘米

文獻比較：
一件相似的沒蓋香爐，收藏於Idemitsu Museum of Arts，見《Imperial overglaze - Enamelled Wares in the Late Ming Dynasty》，大阪，1995年，圖735。另一件來自斯德哥爾摩Gustaf Hillestrom收藏，展覽於《Ming Blue-and-white，The Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities》，斯德哥爾摩，1964年，圖錄編號75。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2017年3月17日，lot 1187
價格：USD 25,000（相當於今日EUR 27,500）
描述：明萬曆青花雙龍戲珠紋方爐，雙圈六字楷書款
專家評論：比較非常相近的外形、裝飾和款識，以及幾乎相同的尺寸(13.5 厘米)。請注意該方爐存在品相問題（環形手柄缺失，將裂紋射到角落並伴有相關的淺切屑，一個重新卡住，淺切屑到一個邊緣角，另一個淺切屑在一隻腳上方，預計會出現小釉片，熔塊和爆裂氣泡），以及蓋子遺失。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：倫敦蘇富比，2009年11月4日，lot 68
價格：GBP 39,650（相當於今日EUR 64,000）
描述：萬曆款及年代青花雙龍戲珠紋方爐
專家評論：比較非常相近的外形、裝飾和款識。請注意尺寸稍大(16.2 厘米)。請注意此方爐有明顯的品相，以及大面積地修補過。

#byimperialcommand