Lot 265. A pair of 'qiangjin' and 'tianqi' lacquer incense stands, xiangji, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period (1662-1722); Height 361⁄2 in., 92.7 cm high. Estimate: 100,000-150,000 USD. Sold Price: 125,000 USD. Courtesy Sotheby's

of yuhuchun form, rising from a splayed foot to a pear-shaped body and a flared rim, painted in vibrant cobalt blue tones with two animated four-clawed dragons striding amidst cloud scrolls in pursuit of a 'flaming pearl' above a tumultuous sea, the foot with five soaring bats (wufu) between blue lines.

Provenance: Grassy, Madrid, 18th May 1974. 
Spanish Private Collection. 

Exhibited: Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield, MA.

Note: This pair of stands is impressive for its elegant, sweeping form which has been meticulously decorated with an intricate floral design. Stands of this type were used both in religious and secular contexts to hold incense burners and flower vases. An earlier stand of this type is portrayed in situ on a woodblock print from chapter 18 of the famous novel Jin Pin Mei (The Plum in the Golden Vase), reproduced in Craig Clunas, 'The Novel Jin Ping Mei as a Source for the Study of Ming Furniture', Orientations, January 1992, p. 62, pl. 5.

While tianqi ('filled-in lacquer') was known from at least the 3rd century, it grew in popularity during the Jiajing (r. 1522-66) and Wanli (r. 1573-1620) reigns. This technique, which involves filling different colors of lacquer into incised outlines, allowed craftsmen to achieve attractive shading effects in vibrant colours within clearly defined forms, particularly evident on the painterly scenes of bird and flower on the top panels.  Highly laborious and time-consuming, this technique was mostly reserved for smaller-sized objects and rarely on larger furnishings such as the present pair.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, New York, 12 Sep 2018