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Lot 242
A FINE CAST BRONZE MODEL OF A LION AS CENSER
Estimated Value:
4.000 € - 6.000 €
Result:
6.475 € incl. Premium and VAT
Description:
China, Ming dynastyL. 36,4 cm
Weight: 9,88 kg.
Collection Prof. Adam Zielinski (1929-2010), acquired in China c. 1965, sold by him at Nagel, 8.11.2002, lot 805 and acquired by the present owner
Compare also a lion censer, seated and with a detachable head, from the collection of Kevin Ching, included in the Min Chiu Society exhibition The Radiant Ming 1368-1644, Hong Kong Museum of History, Hong Kong, 2015, cat. no. 279. Revered for their strength and spiritual essence, lions were considered mythological guardians with the divine power to ward off evil spirits. While the origins of censers cast as lions is difficult to determine, they gained much popularity in the early Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Unlike this piece that is cast with the lid on the animal’s back, censers in the form of lions were generally made with a detachable head and depicted seated. The hollowed interior was filled with charcoal, sandalwood or musk, and when incense was lit, smoke emerged through the beast’s mouth, giving the impression of a living creature breathing smoke - Very slightly chipped, wood cover replaced
