modelled with deep rounded sides flanked by a pair of lion mask handles suspending loose rings, rising from three cabriole legs to a wide everted rim with barbed edges, the exterior decorated in repoussé with lobed cartouches enclosing a stylised bat in flight, clutching in its mouth a knotted ribbon suspending a pair of confronting dragon fish, surrounded by further bats interspersed amongst a leafy lotus meander on a matt ground, all reserved against a cellular diaper ground, the flat rim similarly decorated with stylised lotus sprays and C-scrolls, hemmed with a key-fret band on the sides, the three legs decorated with stylised palmette leaves terminating in scrolled feet, all surmounted by a domed cover with three stepped tiers, the bottom two tiers pierced with shaped cartouches enclosing floral and foliate sprays in openwork, divided by composite floral sprays with interlaced foliate scrolls divided by ruyi bands, the upper tier decorated with a band of alternating floret and foliate motifs divided by reticulated foliate scrolls, below further floral, ruyi and lappet bands, crowned by a bud-form finial enclosed within petal lappets, the interior of the incense burner lined with a metal container with ring handles

Christie's Hong Kong, 28th April 1996, lot 26.

Good overall condition, with minor bruising and dents, and areas of rubbing to the gilding. The separately cast sections of the cover have been stabilised by being screwed to each other. The handles are possibly associated.
"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."

This incense burner reflects the height of the Chinese court’s fascination with European styles. Designs that merged European and Chinese forms and decorative motifs were intentionally chosen by the Qianlong Emperor in his desire to display imperial supremacy and grandeur. During the mid-18th century European Jesuit artists were employed at the court to design the palaces in the northern part of the Yuanmingyuan, also known as the Old Summer Palace. The resulting buildings combined a mix of Italian rococo, French rocaille and Chinese or Mughal-inspired foliate and floral designs and were filled with equally opulent and European-style works of art, porcelains and décor. This is seen on the motifs of the present incense burner which mirrors motifs found on the architectural members of the European palaces, including the western façade of the Haiyantang (Palace of the Tranquil Sea) illustrated in a print from 1783 included in the exhibition From Beijing to Versailles, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1997, cat. no. 100. However, it also retains traditional Chinese elements, such as the form and the auspicious Buddhist motif of twin fish and bats.

Components of this incense burner are found on various imperial works of art; for example the style of modelling of the three feet with a shell and leaves is related to those found on imperial clocks, including two in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The 200 Objects You Should Know. Timepieces, Beijing, 2007, pls 24 and 38; the openwork scroll band on the cover is reminiscent of the gilded design on a painted enamel vase with Qianlong mark and of the period, illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum. Enamels, vol. 5: Painted Enamels in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Beijing, 2011, pl. 66; and the feathery scroll on the body of the incense burner is known on contemporary famille rose porcelain, such as two vases decorated in yangcai enamels on a colour ground in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the Museum’s exhibition Stunning Decorative Porcelains from the Ch’ien-lung Reign, Taipei, 2008, cat. nos 19 and 41.