A Zhejiang celadon duck-form censer, Ming dynasty, 15th-16th century
A Zhejiang celadon duck-form censer, Ming dynasty, 15th-16th century. Estimate $10,000 – $12,000. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2015.
The censer is modeled as a duck standing on a wave-form base, with head turned to the side, its overlapping wings and tufted tail, detailed with carved feather markings, are pierced for the release of smoke. The whole is covered with a crackled bluish-green glaze. 8 ¾ in. (22.4 cm.) high, Japanese wood box
Provenance: Yamanaka Shokai, Japan.
Private collection, Japan, since the early 20th century.
Notes: Novelty incense burners in the form of birds were first introduced in the Han dynasty and enjoyed a fair amount of popularity in the Yuan, Ming and Qing periods. A Longquan celadon incense burner dated c. 1450-1550 in the form of a duck standing on a rock and with a removable wing made of gilt-bronze is illustrated by J. Harrison-Hall, Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, London, 2001, p. 498, no. 16:93, along with two other Longquan celadon bird-form censers, one modeled as a pair of birds, the other as a parrot, and a bronze bird-form censer dated 12th-13th century, nos. 16:92, 16:94 and 16:92 (fig. 1), respectively.
Christie's. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 17 - 18 September 2015, New York, Rockefeller Plaza