Lot 3657. A  gold-splashed bronze tripod incense burner and stand, Qing dynasty, 17th-18th century; 16.3 cm, 6 3/8  in. Estimate 150,000 — 250,000 HKD (19,100 - 31,833 USD). Lot sold 225,000 HKD (28,649 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's

cast with a bombé body rising from three tapering legs to a waisted neck and everted rim, all surmounted by a pair of handles, the base centred with a recessed cartouche enclosing an apocryphal four-character Xuande seal mark, the exterior decorated overall save for the mark with gold splashes, the well cast circular stand with a central circular finial and supported on three incurved ruyi-shaped legs, similarly decorated on the upper surface and sides with gold splashes.

Note: It is rare to find a large gold-splashed incense burner preserved with its matching stand, which adds an element of softness to the overall object. The elegant stand derives its form from a stylised mallow flower with overlapping petals. A near identical stand is illustrated in Philip K. Hu, Later Chinese Bronzes - The Saint Louis Art Museum and Robert Kresko Collections, St. Louis, 2008, cat. no. 28 and cover.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 8 october 2019