Lot 9 A Chinese blue and white 'Duck' incense burner

A Chinese blue and white 'Duck' incense burner

Tianqi/Chongzhen

未知

€ 8.000 – € 12.000

WH: H. 15,4 cm, W. 12 cm, D. 7,1 cm

未知

An incense burner modelled after a duck standing on a base supported by two upright floral elements, its neck turned backwards and decorated with vertical strokes simulating feathers. The folded wings and tail form the detachable hollow cover, while the bird clasps a globular object in its beak. The entire piece is painted in underglaze cobalt blue. When incense is burned, the smoke rises through the hollow body and neck before emerging from the duck's beak, creating a captivating visual effect. A superb example of a zoomorphic incense burner, designed to transform the ritual of burning incense into both a sensory and visual experience.
此香爐塑作立鴨回首狀，下承花卉形鏤空座。鴨頸飾直線羽紋，收攏的雙翼與尾羽巧妙構成可拆卸的中空爐蓋，喙中銜一圓珠。通體施釉，以青花描繪細節。
焚香時，煙霧由中空的鴨腹沿頸部上升，再從鴨喙緩緩逸出，構思巧妙，別具趣味。此器將動物造型與實用功能融為一體，使焚香過程兼具嗅覺享受與觀賞意趣，堪稱晚明青花動物形香爐中的佳例。
Reference:
Becky MacGuire, 'Four Centuries of Blue & White - The Frelinghuysen Collection of Chinese and Japanese Export Porcelain', p. 301, no. 242 for an identical example, sold by Polly Latham Asian Art. (link).
Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, USA, object number B69P91L.a-.b for a related duck box. (link)
Provenance:
S. Marchant & Son, London.
Vanderven Oriental Art, 's Hertogenbosch.
The Mr. and Mrs. Baert-Devos Collection, Belgium. Acquired from the above on 1 September 1989 and accompanied by a copy of their original invoice. (see added scan)
Exhibited & published:
S. Marchant & Son, London, included in their June 1989 exhibition of 'Transitional Wares for the Japanese and Domestic Markets', and published in the accompanying catalogue, p. 12, no. 2.