A SMALL GILT-BRONZE INCENSE BURNER, A SAWASA TYPE PARCEL-GILT BRONZE INCENSE TOOL VASE AND GILT-BRONZE CUP AND SAUCER
17th/18th century
Comprising an incense burner cast with four cartouches in high relief divided by four flanges, surmounted by a pair of upright lug handles, supported by three flat blade-shaped legs, 8.5cm (3 3/8in) high; the vase decorated with three panels enclosing flowering branches, the waisted neck ending in a chrysanthemum-shaped mouth, supported on a stepped foot, 9.1cm (3 5/8in) high; the cup rising from a short straight foot with four lobed sides flanked by a pair of stylised chilong-shaped handles, decorated with leafy scrolls, the same decoration applied to the four-lobed saucer, 12.1cm (4 3/4in) long. (4).
Footnotes:
十七/十八世紀 銅鎏金開光三足鼎式爐、局部鎏金銅開光花卉紋香插、銅鎏金海棠式杯及盤 一組四件

Compare with a similar tripod vessel, but silver, late 17th century, illustrated in Zhongguo Meishu Quanji: Gongyi meishu bian, jinying, boli, falangqi, vol.10, Beijing, 1996, p.49. The gilt-bronze incense burner is inspired by archaic bronzes. See a similar archaistic tripod censer, 17th century, in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (acc.no.2019.315). See also related bronze vessels of similar style, illustrated by B.Quette, De la Chine Aux Arts Décoratifs: L'art chinois dans les collections du Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, 2014, p.60, no.52.

All with some rubbing of the gilding, some little dents; legs of the ding possibly reinforced; some verdigris.