Heavily cast, with apressed globular body, the vessel supported by three bulbous cabriole leg each adorned with ruyi head and with claws-feet, surmounted by a short neck rising to a flaring mouth with a key fret decoration, the body flanked and cast with a pair of fine chilong forming the handles, the single-horned beasts each modelled with an upturned snout, protruding eyes, thick brows and powerful claws clambering over the rim, its arched body extending to a long bifurcated tail curled over the sides, and embellishment the exterior with unevenly applied with irregularly-shaped splashes of gold and patinated to a warm copper-brown colour. The domed cover with openwork adorned by a pair of dragons pursuing the flame pearl between a cloudy sky below a band of pendent lappets and surmounted by a coiled knop. The base cast with four-character Qianlong seal mark within a recessed cartouche. In very good conditions, only very light wears on the surface as well as very light scratches, the cover with some dirty residue caused by the cleaning product.21 cm wide, 24 cm highA VERY RARE AND BEAUTIFUL GILT-SPLASHED BRONZE TRIPOD CENSER AND COVER, CHINA, QING DYNASTY, MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG (1736-1795)Provenance: from the private collection of an Italian gentleman connaisseurExport License available