Perfume burner - Bronze - Gilded bronze

Golden-bronze Tripod Incense Burner - H 37cm, 4.26kg - Fu Dog & 8 Trigrams - Late 19th / Early 20th Century - Vietnamese/Indochina/Chinese Style

DESCRIPTION
superb and substantial tripod incense burner with its original base, cast in solid bronze with a golden patina. This highly symbolic piece of Asian art features remarkable casting and chiseling work.
The object consists of three distinct parts:
1. The elaborately pierced circular base, with a central longévité/prosperity ideogram
2. The body of the vase (incense burner) resting on three long legs
3. The pierced lid, topped by a Fu Dog (Lion) and engraved with the eight sacred trigrams

ICONOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS & SYMBOLISM
The Lid & The Eight Trigrams (Bagua - 八卦): A major feature of this piece, the movable lid has eight pierced openings (allowing incense diffusion) associated with the eight trigrams of the Yi Jing (Book of Changes). These fundamental Taoist symbols represent the essential principles of reality:
- Qian (Heaven), Kun (Earth), Zhen (Thunder), Xun (Wind), Kan (Water), Li (Fire), Gen (Mountain), and Dui (Lake). They form here a protective circle repelling negative energies.
• The Fu Dog (or Guardian Lion): The lid bears a triumphant Fu Dog, one paw resting on the sacred sphere (embroidered globe), a symbol of home protection and dominion over the world.
• Handles & Feet: The body of the vase is flanked by two imposing dragon-headed handles with elongated snouts. The three cylindrical feet arise from magnificent heads of mythological monsters (Taotie or Kala).
• The Base & Ideogram: The tripodal base, richly moulded, is adorned in its center with a large pierced ideogram (stylized Shou symbol evoking longevity).

ORIGIN AND STYLE
• Origin: Indochina/Vietnam (Annamese art) or China.
• Style & Era: Sino-Vietnamese style, late Nguyen Dynasty / late Qing period, dating from the late 19th century or very early 20th century (circa 1900). The elegant profile of the feet and the dragon-head handles are very characteristic of decorative bronzes produced in Vietnam under Chinese influence at that time.

DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT
• Total height (including base): 37 cm
• Maximum width (from one handle to the other): 33 cm
• Depth: 23 cm
• Total weight: 4.26 kg (heavy piece, very stable)

CONDITION
• Good overall usage condition. Stunning bright golden patina with natural green oxidation marks (verdigris) inside the lid and in the grooves, evidence of its age.

Packaging and Delivery Options: Each piece is packed securely and reinforced to ensure optimal protection during transport.

A collector for more than two decades of Asian incense burners, in bronze, cloisonné, champlevé and jade, I will be putting other quality pieces up for sale in the coming weeks. See you soon!