Vase - Ceramic - China - Nineteenth Century - Flambé

Refined Chinese porcelain incense burner, featuring a precious flambé glaze with iridescent hues of violet, purple, blue, and turquoise, achieved through complex dripping effects and color variations during firing, typical of the finest Qing-era productions.

The form is harmonious and well-proportioned, with a globular body, a slightly flared rim, and side handles in the shape of stylized mascarons, elements that evoke the ritual and decorative tradition of incense burners for the study and for the altar.

The bottom features an unglazed base ring and an internally glazed surface, consistent with a high-quality production.

• Dating
The object is likely attributable to a late Qing production, more precisely to the 19th century, a period in which the flambé technique, developed during the Yongzheng and Qianlong eras, continued to be revived and reinterpreted with great refinement.

To support the chronological and typological placement, notable comparisons are drawn with flambé enamel incense burners of similar shape and coloration, which have appeared at major international auction houses such as:

Christie’s (flambé incense burners attributed to the eighteenth century),

Bonhams (flambé perfume burner, Qing dynasty, 18th–19th century),

Cambi (flambé incense burners attributed to the Qianlong era).

Such comparisons, visible in the attached screenshots, confirm that objects with this type of enamel, shape, and function are consistently part of the panorama of high-level Qing productions traded on the international market.

Conditions
There is a vertical crack present that extends from the edge toward the body, visible both internally and externally.
From the outside, it isn’t very obvious.
Natural light photographs have been attached to accurately document the visual impact.

The crack appears stable, with no signs of restoration work, and does not compromise the structural solidity of the object or the overall aesthetic impact of the flambé glaze, which has a notable chromatic and material effect.

There are normal signs of wear consistent with age.

• Shipping
Packaging will be carried out with the utmost care and professionalism, using polystyrene wadding, protective paper, and bubble wrap.
The item will be placed in a first box, which, in turn, will be placed in a second box (double box), in order to guarantee maximum protection during transport and ensure that it arrives intact at its destination.

The photographs include images taken in natural light, in order to faithfully convey the true shades and variations of the flambé glaze.