A Chinese Parcel-Gilt Copper-Alloy Incense Burner, Gui, Hu Wenming mark

A Chinese Parcel-Gilt Copper-Alloy Incense Burner, Gui, Hu Wenming mark, A Chinese Parcel-Gilt Copper-Alloy Incense Burner, Gui, Hu Wenming mark, of compressed globular form with mythical beast handles, cast with mythical beasts amongst waves and clouds within foliate scroll borders, bears incised six-character Yunjian Hu Wenming Zhi mark 23.5cm wide Hu Wenming (1573-1620) was one of the most accomplished craftsmen of the late Ming Dynasty, specialising in Archaic-style gilt-bronze ritual vessels for the scholars’ desk. The shape of this censer is typical, inspired by examples from the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, decorated with fantastic animals drawn from the Classic of Mountains and Sea Shan Hai Jing. For similar examples with related decoration, see Sotheby’s Olympia, 10 June 2004, lot 1, and Woolley & Wallis, 11 November 2025, lot 20

Estimate:£1,200

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