Lot 55. A rare imperial gilt-bronze and cloisonné enamel incense burner and a cover. The incense burner Wanli six-character mark and of the period, the cover 18th century; 24.5cm (9 5/8in) wide. Estimate: 320,000-400,000 HKD. Sold for HK$ 875,000 (€105,802). Photo Bonhams. 

The body of compressed globular form, decorated with four dragons amidst meandering lotus scrolls, above a slightly domed foot with lotus lappets, rising to a short neck with a key-fret band on the pronounced mouth rim, the shoulders flanked by a pair of 'C'-shaped dragon handles, the base with a six-character mark; the later cover with gilt-bronze pierced meandering lotus scrolls above the rim and on the finial, decorated on the sides with circular cartouches enclosing the Buddhist wheel-of-fire interspersed with scrolls (2).

Note: The present incense burner belongs to a selected group of imperial wares, each with a Da Ming Wanli Nian Zao mark. These marks are very consistent and are executed in cloisonné enamel, with the six-characters arranged in two parallel columns infilled with red enamel, enclosed within a rectanglular frame and surrounded by a band of cloud orruyi-head motifs. 

There are several cloisonné enamel incense burners with the same Wanli reign mark and of the period, from the Qing Court collection, including a compressed globular incense burner with upright handles and elephant-head feet, and another rectangular incense burner and cover, with the Eight Buddhist Emblems on a white ground, illustrated inCompendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Enamels 1, Beijing, 2011, pls.100-101.

A related cloisonné enamel tripod incense burner, ding, Wanli mark and period, was sold in our London rooms, 10 July 2006, lot 45. 

Bonhams. IMPERIAL SPLENDOUR, 3 Dec 2015 12:00 HKT - HONG KONG, ADMIRALTY