159. RARE GRAND BRÛLE-PARFUM EN BRONZE PARTIELLEMENT DORÉ, LUDUAN Dynastie Ming A RARE LARGE PARCEL-GILT 'LUDUAN' CENSER Ming Dynasty Heavily cast standing four-square, holding down a snake with his feet, the body powerfully built, the detachable head with a single horn, cast with bulging eyes and teeth bared, hinged at the front, the powerful body decorated on each side with large swirling scrolls highlighted in gilt, the details of its mane finely incised. 48.8cm (19 1/4in) high. (8.53kg). 明 局部鎏金銅甪端熏爐 Provenance: Collection of Eduard von Grützner (1846-1925) Hugo Helbing, Munich, Collection Eduard von Grützner, 4 June 1930, lot 712 Collection Heinrich Vetter (1910-2003), Mannheim Lempertz, Cologne, 4 July 2003, lot 165 來源： Eduard von Grützner（1846-1925）珍藏 Hugo Helbing拍賣行，慕尼黑，「Eduard von Grützner珍藏」，1930年6月4日，編號712 曼海姆Heinrich Vetter（1910-2003）珍藏 倫佩茨拍賣行，科隆，2003年7月4日，編號165 Large bronze censers such as the present lot occupied prized positions around the halls of the Forbidden City, as the billowing smoke issuing from their open mouths served as a reminder to the emperor to be receptive to honest advice, see Chuimei Ho and Bennet Bronson, Splendors of China's Forbidden City. The Glorious Reign of Emperor Qianlong, Chicago, 2004, pl.37. Compare with two other models, published in Paul Moss and Gerard Hawthorn, The Second Bronze Age. Later Chinese Metalwork, Sydney L. Moss, Ltd., London, 1991, cat.nos.18 and 19. Compare also with a gold-splashed bronze censer of Luduan shape, sold Christie's Hong Kong, 1 June 2011, lot 3948.