A rare blue and white tripod censer, Ming dynasty, Wanli period. Photo Sotheby's

the compressed ovoid body divided into three bracket lobes above the short feet and set on the shoulder with a pair of upright everted handles, each lobe finely drawn with a panel enclosing a sage seated beneath plantain leaves, the neck with two bands enclosing a half chrysanthemum blossom flanked by wan-fret diaper, the galleried rim with scrollwork, interrupted by an inscription giving the placement of the censer on a Wenchang altar, above an inscription on the shoulder reading Da Ming Chenghua jimao nian Dunben Tang jingzhu (respectfully presented by the Dunben Hall in the jimao year of the reign of Chenghua of the Great Ming), Japanese wood box (3). Length 8 in., 20.3 cm. Estimation 40,000 — 60,000

NOTE A censer of the same form, size and decoration but differently inscribed, from the Edward T. Chow collection, was sold in our Hong Kong rooms 19th May 1981, lot 422. A smaller censer similarly decorated but lacking the dated inscription was sold twice in our Hong Kong rooms, first 11th November 1977, lot 42 and again 24th November 1981, lot 101.Compare also the unmarked censer of similar form decorated with animals illustrated in the Percival David Foundation, Catalogue, section 3. no. A 625.