194. RARE BRÛLE-PARFUM EN BRONZE PATINÉ Dynastie Ming A RARE PATINATED BRONZE LOBED CENSER Ming Dynasty Heavily cast, the deep body of quatre-lobed form raised on a high, slightly splayed foot of corresponding form, with deep rounded sides rising to a sharply angled rim, the base cast with a Xuande mark in Arabic script cast in relief, the bronze patinated to a rich deep reddish colour. 15.3cm (6in) wide (Weight: 2,061 kg). 明 銅海棠式爐「大明宣德年製」仿款 Provenance: Formerly in a German noble family collection, acquired in China in the early 20th century (by repute), acquired from the collection 來源： 德國貴族家族舊藏，於二十世紀初得自中國 （傳） 現藏家得自上述來源 Incense vessels decorated with inscriptions in Arabic script are associated with the Zhengde reign (1506-1521) coinciding with the decorative use of Arabic inscriptions or characters on mostly imperial porcelain, see, for example, a blue and white table screen from the collection of Sir Percival David, illustrated in Rosemary Scott, Elegant Form and Harmonious Decoration. Four Dynasties of Jingdezhen Porcelain, London, 1992, p.70, no.68. For a Zhengde mark and period bronze censer cast with an Arabic inscription, see an example published in Sydney L. Moss Ltd., Emperor, Scholar, Artisan, Monk, London, 1984, no.118, and a bronze censer from the Soame Jenyns collection, sold Christie's London, 6 November 2018, lot 21. This extremely heavily cast censer is also highly unusual because of the rich rust-colour of the bronze which may be attributed to a special coating of the surface. A small hu-shaped bronze vase with a Kangxi mark, from the Clague Collection, has a very similar surface colour and appearance, which has been described as 'cast bronze with cold-worked decoration, rust-coloured coating over golden flecks', see Robert D. Mowry, China's Renaissance in Bronze. The Robert H. Clague Collection of Later Chinese Bronzes 1100-1900, Phoenix, 1993, p.174-176, cat.no.36.