A fine bronze incense burner with side handles

Description:

China, Xuande six-character mark on the bottom, late Ming dynasty
B. 15,5 cm
Marked on the base in a rectangular recessed reserve, black-brown patina, heavy casting. Weight: 1.126 kg.
From an old German private collection, according to tradition assembled before 1990
A similar book vessel with gold splashes, attributed to the late Ming dynasty, is in the collection of the Hong Kong Museum of Art;Ming dynasty, is in the collection of the Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, illustrated in Hilda Mak and Amber Chan, 'The Aesthetics of Hues in Antiquities from the HKMoA Collection', Arts of Asia, Spring 2022, fig. 21. Compare a similar example, decorated with a wide, irregular gilt band, sold at Christie's Hong Kong on 29 May 2006, lot 1515 - Minim. signs of wear