209 - A large bronze incense burner with gold splashess, of the ‘gui’ type

A large bronze incense burner with gold splashess, of the ‘gui’ type China, marked, 17th/18th century B. 43,5 cm / 6,5 kg The large incense burner is modelled on the gui bronzes of the Shang and Zhou periods, archaic ritual vessels, which were originally used for offerings and banquets. The dignified proportions and archaic solidity are typical of antiquarian-inspired bronzes from the Qing period. The body is richly decorated with gold; its speckles and inlays shimmer against the dark bronze background, creating a magnificent, high-contrast effect. European private collection - The vessel bears three inscriptions. The mark ‘Xuande, second year’ is apocryphal. It refers to the famous incense burnersof the Ming period and is intended to indicate high quality, without claiming an actual date from the Xuande era. The name ‘Zhou Yi’ refers to a documented master caster and underpins the claim to traditional craftsmanship. The inscription ‘Xiuhuang zhuren’ (‘Master Xiuhuang’) names the patron. ‘Xiuhuang’ literally means ‘cultivated bamboo’ and symbolises the moral virtues of the learned literati. This suggests that the commission came from the circle of educated literati with refined tastes. The vessel was thus more than a mere utilitarian object; it bore witness to its owner’s social standing, education and aesthetic discernment. A closely related gui incense burner of a similar size was sold at Christie’s New York on 17 March 2017 (Lot 1041). Another gold-speckled bronze gui bearing the same Xuande mark, made for the Islamic market, is in the Parry Collection and was auctioned at Bonhams in London on 2 November 2021 (Lot 48) - Signs of ageing