A LARGE ‘KUI XING’ BRONZE CENSER AND COVER, 17TH-18TH CENTURY China. The god of examinations standing in a dynamic pose with one foot atop a fierce giant dragon carp, holding a writing brush and a box with folded papers falling out. His face with a lively expression, wearing a dhoti and a scarf billowing across each arm, all supported on the stepped rectangular censer cover decorated with key frets, scrolling clouds and ruyi head patterns. Provenance: French private collection. Condition: Fine condition with some smaller losses, scattered nicks and dents, old soldering repairs to exposed areas. Naturally grown patina of deep-bronze, almost black color. Weight: 11.9 kg (the cover) and 27.4 kg (the censer) Dimensions: Size 72 x 42 x 32 cm The massive and very heavy censer is of rectangular form, supported on four monumental legs issuing from Buddhist lions’ mouths. The sides are cast in high relief with a scholar and a pupil under a pine tree with craggy rockwork, a sage riding a giant carp on crashing waves, and cranes in flight amid scrolling clouds, the rim decorated with a key-fret band above further scrolling clouds in relief. Literature comparison: Compare with a Japanese variation of the present bronze censer, also depicting Kui Xing, but signed by Oshima Joun (1858-1940), at Bonhams New York in Fine Japanese Art on 22 July 2020, lot 1095. Compare also with two gilt bronze figures of Kui Xing dated to the 17th century, one at Christie’s London in Fine Chinese Ceramics And Works of Art on 9 May 2017, and the other attributed to the Ming dynasty at Sotheby’s London in Important Chinese Art on 11 November 2015, lot 206. 十七至十八世紀魁星香爐 中國。主宰文章興衰之神一腳踩在一條兇猛的巨鯉上，手握一支毛筆和一個裝著文章的盒子。面部表情活潑生動，手臂上搭著飄帶，支撐在階梯式矩形香爐蓋上，蓋上飾有雷紋、祥雲和如意圖案。 來源：法國私人收藏 品相：狀況良好，缺損較小，散落的刻痕和凹痕，裸露區域的舊焊接修復。 自然生長的深青銅色幾乎為黑色包漿。 重量：蓋11.9 公斤；爐27.4 kg 尺寸：72 x 42 x 32 厘米