A CLOISONNE ENAMEL AND GILT BRONZE 'LOTUS' CENSER, JINGTAI MARK, MING DYNASTY China, 15^th-16^th century. The deep rounded sides supported on three gilt-bronze feet in the form of elephant heads and flanked by similarly cast Buddhist lion handles, the rims and interior gilt, the exterior finely decorated in bright enamels with stylized lotus blossoms amid foliate scroll and auspicious symbols. The base cast with a four-character mark Jingtai nianzhi within a square reserve.

Provenance: Swiss trade.
Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with half a millennium of age. Some old wear and expected manufacturing flaws, such as pitting, few minor nicks and associated small loss to enamels, few tiny fills.

Weight: 324.3 g
Dimensions: Width 10.5 cm

Literature comparison:
The decoration and the elephant mounts are a direct continuation from the preceding Yuan dynasty, see an incense burner with elephant trunk handles, Yuan dynasty, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum, Enamels 1, Cloisonné in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, Beijing, 2011, page 60, pl. 7.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams London, 8 November 2012, lot 232
Price: GBP 49,250 or approx. EUR 76,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A very rare cloisonné enamel two-handled bowl, cast Jingtai mark, the cloisonné enamel early to mid-15th century
Expert remark: Compare the similar Jingtai mark, lotus decoration, and bronze mounts, though with dragon handles (instead of lion handles and elephant feet as on the present lot). Note the size (13.7 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby's Paris, 16 December 2010, lot 54
Price: EUR 30,750 or approx. EUR 39,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Brûle-parfum en bronze et émaux cloisonnés, Chine, dynastie Ming, XVIE siècle
Expert remark: Compare the related lotus decoration and bronze mounts, though with elephant handles (instead of lion handles and elephant feet as on the present lot). Note the size (18 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 27 November 2018, lot 61
Price: HKD 187,500 or approx. EUR 25,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt-bronze and cloisonné enamel tripod incense burner, Jingtai four-character mark, mid-Ming dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the related Jingtai mark, lotus decoration, and bronze mounts, though with elephant handles (instead of lion handles as on the present lot). Note the size (22.2 cm).



明代景泰款掐絲琺瑯纏枝蓮花鎏金三足爐
中國，十五至十六世紀。掐絲琺瑯纏枝蓮花紋，鎏金獅形耳與象頭三足。底座内“景泰年製”四字款。

來源：瑞士古玩市場。
品相：品相極好。一些磨損和製造缺陷，麻點、輕微刻痕以及琺瑯磨損，與搪瓷相關的少量損失、很少的微小填充。

重量：324.3 克
尺寸：寬 10.5 厘米

文獻比較：
此裝飾和象頭足延續了元代的特色。一件元代象頭把手的香爐，收藏於北京故宮博物院，見《故宮博物院藏品大系‧琺瑯器編‧元明掐絲琺瑯》，北京，2011年，頁60，編號7。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：倫敦邦瀚斯，2012年11月8日，lot 232
價格：GBP 49,250（相當於今日EUR 76,500）
描述：十五世紀早期到中期掐絲琺瑯纏枝蓮紋雙龍耳爐 陽文「景泰年製」楷書款
專家評論：比較相近的「景泰」款識、纏枝蓮紋，但把手為龍形。請注意尺寸(13.7 厘米)。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：巴黎蘇富比，2010年12月16日，lot 54
價格：EUR 30,750（相當於今日EUR 39,000）
描述：十五世纪明代掐絲琺瑯纏枝蓮紋雙象耳爐
專家評論：比較相近的纏枝蓮紋，但把手為象形。請注意尺寸(18 厘米)。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：香港邦瀚斯，2018年11月27日，lot 61
價格：HKD 187,500（相當於今日EUR 25,500）
描述：明中期銅胎掐絲琺瑯纏枝蓮紋三足爐「景泰年製」楷書款
專家評論：比較相近的「景泰」款識、纏枝蓮紋，但把手為象形。請注意尺寸(22.2 厘米)。