Period: Qing dynasty
Material: Bronze
Mark: Apocryphal six-character Ming dynasty Xuande mark to base, 大明宣德年製
Origin: ChinaSize: 11*9*6cm (length x breadth x height)
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This antique Chinese bronze incense burner was made during the Qing dynasty in deliberate imitation of Ming Xuande-period bronzes.
The six-character mark 大明宣德年製 on the base is best understood as an apocryphal Xuande mark - a later tribute to the prestige, balance, and refinement associated with Xuande censers, rather than an indication that the piece was made in the Ming Xuande reign itself.
Later bronze censers bearing Xuande marks were widely produced and remain appreciated for the way they consciously echo an earlier and highly admired tradition of Chinese bronze craftsmanship.
That is part of this piece’s appeal: not only its own sculptural presence and material character, but also the historic style and lineage it was made to evoke.
