A CHINESE GILT-LACQUER ‘LAOZI AND BUFFALO’ INCENSE BURNER.Ming Dynasty, 16th to 17th Century.The cover formed as the sage, Laozi, seated side saddle with the right hand clasping his scroll, his mouth pierced, and eyes slightly downcast, dressed in long flowing robes, his lower back also pierced through with an aperture, fitted into the back of the hollow buffalo, standing with the head turned to the left and slightly cocked in a state of dynamic motion with the left foreleg raised, and the tongue licking the nose, the tail delicately resting on the left hind leg. (2)32.5cm H.3.82kg.明十六至十七世紀 銅鎏金加彩老子騎牛式蓋爐The quality of casting and sculptural prowess of the present work is notable, particularly in view of the fact that a Laozi and buffalo form incense burner was represented in the Imperial collection of the Yongzheng emperor which may be found in the Guwan tu handscroll painted in 1729, now in the collection of the V&A Museum, London, see Regina Krahl, ‘The Yongzheng Emperor and the Qing Court Collection’, Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, volume 80, 2015-2016.Please note this lot is subject to VAT on the hammer price in addition to VAT on the buyer’s premium.增值稅適用於成交價與買家支付之酬金