Lot 80
A Bronze 'Elephant' Tripod Incense Burner, Xuande Sixteen-Character Mark, Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)
Lot 80 Details
A Bronze 'Elephant' Tripod Incense Burner, Xuande Sixteen-Character Mark, Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)
明 宝象三足铜炉「大明宣德五年監督工部官臣吳邦佐造」铸款
The underside bearing a four-line inscription, ‘Da Ming Xuande wunian jiandu gongbu guanchen Wu Bangzuo zao’ (Made by Wu Bangzuo, Supervisor of the Ministry of Works, in the Fifth Year of Xuande of the Great Ming), the vessel of cylindrical form, cast with a pair of elephant-head handles and supported on three elephant-head feet; 炉约重4千克
height 5.9 in — 15 cm
131.2 oz. — 4082 grams
Estimate $4,000-$6,000
Additional Images
Provenance:
Important Archaic Bronzes and Chinese Jades from the Collection of Albert Y.P. Lee and Sara K.S. Lee
来源：李尔白及骆桂生伉俪珍藏重要青铜器及玉器
Albert Y.P. Lee (1930-2021) was the son of Li Yingshuan (1911-1972), a major donor of archaic Chinese bronzes to the Shanghai Museum in 1979. Li Yingshuan was the grandnephew of Li Hongzhang (1823-1901), the prominent statesman, general and diplomat of the late Qing dynasty. Albert Y.P. Lee opened “Far East Gallery” in Yorkville, Toronto, during the early 1970s until the 1990s.
李尔白(1930-2021)为著名金石鉴藏家李荫轩(1911-1972)之子。李荫轩先生为晚清重臣李鸿章(1823-1901)侄孙，其部分高古青铜器珍藏于1979年捐赠予上海博物馆，成为现藏于上博的重要珍器。李尔白先生曾在1970年至1990年间于多伦多市中心约克维尔运营’远东艺廊’。李尔白先生好古敏求，所集成此组珍贵高古青铜器及玉器展现出其一生对中国古史笃行不倦的追求。
Note:
The inscription refers to the Xuande Emperor's reign (1426-1435), celebrated for its exceptional imperial bronze production, and names Wu Bangzuo as a supervisor in the Ministry of Works. Marks of this type appear on a small group of finely cast archaistic vessels and are generally understood to reflect later Ming or Qing dynasty revivals of Xuande prototypes, rather than contemporaneous Xuande manufacture.
Compare with examples from Bonhams London, May 13, 2024, lot 211, price realised 3,584 GBP; Bonhams London, May 11, 2021, lot 185, price realised 4,462 GBP; and Sotheby's Hong Kong, April 6, 2016, lot 3681, price realised 250,000 HKD
https://www.bonhams.com/auction/29381/lot/211/a-bronze-elephant-incense-burner-xuande-sixteen-character-mark-ming-dynasty/
https://www.bonhams.com/auction/26397/lot/185/a-rare-bronze-elephant-tripod-incense-burner-ming-dynasty/
https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2016/important-chinese-art-hk0638/lot.3681.html