205. RARE GRAND BRÛLE-PARFUM IMPÉRIAL EN BRONZE DORÉ ET ÉMAUX CLOISONNÉS, LUDUAN Marque et époque Qianlong (1736-1795) AN IMPERIAL GILT-BRONZE AND CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL INCENSE BURNER, LUDUAN Qianlong six-character mark and of the period Superbly cast in the form a mythical luduan standing foursquare on large clawed feet, the rotund body decorated in pink, yellow, green, blue, and white enamels with delicate flower sprays with curling leafy tendrils, all reserved on a vibrant turquoise ground, the head forming the hinged cover, modeled with open mouth, bulging eyes and a flat nose his furry mane hiding large ears and a single large horn, the hinge incised with a six-character Qianlong mark. 39.5cm (15 1/2in) high. 清乾隆 御製掐絲琺瑯番蓮紋甪端薰爐「大清乾隆年製」款 Provenance: Formerly in a German collection, acquired in China in the 1920s (by repute), acquired from the collection 來源： 德國私人舊藏，於1920年代得自中國（傳） 現藏家得自上述來源 The pair to this luduan censer from the same German family collection, was offered in Sotheby's Hong Kong, 11 April 2008 Mythical beasts of this form are known as luduan, powerful, legendary creatures reputed to be capable of distinguishing between good and evil. Incense burners of this form were placed beside or in front of the imperial thrones in the halls of the palaces to symbolise that the emperor, protected by these animals, was a virtuous and intelligent ruler, as illustrated by a pair of censers of luduan shape flanking the throne in the Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihe Tang) in the Forbiden City, published in Palaces of the Forbidden City, Hong Kong, 1986, pp.66-67. Luduan-form censers are seen as early as late Ming/early Qing and their popularity is demonstrated by the surviving examples. Compare with two Ming examples of this form with Wanli marks in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, published in The Complete Collection of Palace Museum. Enamels 1: Cloisonne in the Yuan (1271-1368) and Ming (1368-1644) Dynasties, Beijing, 2011, pls.102-103. Compare also a similar example of a gilt-bronze and cloisonné enamel luduan incense burner, dated to the Qianlong period, in the imperial Palace in Shenyang, illustrated in The Prime Cultural Relics Collected by Shenyang Imperial Palace Museum. The Enamel Volume, Beijing, 2007, pp.92-95, no.5 and 6. A very large pair of luduan was sold at Christie's New York, 29 March 2006, lot 311.