Incense burner; China, Qing Dynasty, Qianlong Period, 1736–1795.

Incense burner; China, Qing Dynasty, Qianlong Period, 1736–1795.
Enameled bronze.
It has some damage.
Measurements: 28 x 20 x 14 cm.
Scholar’s incense burner made of bronze with cloisonné enamel decoration. The piece, with a round base and globular body, is profusely decorated. It has been entirely adorned with enamel using the cloisonné technique to depict plant motifs. Also known as “celled” or “partitioned,” cloisonné enamel is a technique that involves depositing the vitreous enamel paste into recessed compartments or compartments formed by metal strips that, in relief, outline the design’s silhouette.

These were always ritual objects and, as such, were intended exclusively for use by the ruling class or as burial goods. Bronze vessels were used primarily in ancestral sacrifices, as a means of communication between heaven and earth, and in ceremonial banquets (propitiatory rites). In later periods, the bronze vessel would become highly significant, and finding an ancient bronze artifact would be considered a good omen, particularly in relation to the ruler’s legitimacy. In fact, beginning in the Han Dynasty (3rd century AD), rulers began to hoard them as symbols of political legitimacy.

Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty ruled China from 1736 to 1795 and is remembered today as one of the most cultured emperors and one of the most important figures in the history of art collecting. His long reign was a particularly interesting period in Chinese history. At that time, the country was the richest and most populous nation in the world. Qianlong was able to preserve and foster his own traditions as a Manchu hunter and warrior, combining them with the adoption of Confucian principles of political and cultural leadership, thereby achieving an effective and stable government. In fact, it was precisely his ability to adopt Chinese customs while continuing to honor his Manchu heritage that made him one of the most successful emperors of the Qing Dynasty. Qianlong studied Chinese painting and took particular delight in the art of calligraphy, which was highly regarded in this culture and, in fact, considered the highest of the arts.