A rare jade censer with arabic inscription, Ming dynasty, 16th century. Photo:Sotheby's

of low cylindrical form, supported on three thin undulating feet extending from the base, the sides carved in low relief with three 'cloud' shaped cartouches each enclosing Arabic characters reading 'There is no god but the [one] God,' and 'Mohammad is the messenger of God', the translucent stone with grey and black streaks above a creamy white tone around the base; 10.9 cm., 4 1/4 in. Estimate 500,000 — 700,000 HKD 

Note: The Arabic inscription on this censer may be translated: 
There is no god but the [one] God, and Mohammad is the messenger of God.

It is unusual to find jade censers decorated with this Arabic cartouche, a motif that is more commonly incorporated into the design of bronze or porcelain vessels; for example see a bronze censer sold in these rooms, 4th April 2012, lot 143. A bronze ding was included in the exhibition China's Renaissance in Bronze: The Robert H. Clague Collection of Later Chinese Bronzes 1100-1900, Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, 1993, cat. no. 25, where it is suggested that such objects were produced for the domestic market. For a related ceramic censer, but with the Arabic inscription enclosed within a roundel, see one illustrated in Tôji taikei, no. 42: Min no sometsuke, Tokyo, 1975, pl. 59.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. Hong Kong | 08 Apr 2014 -www.sothebys.com