A CHINESE SHIWAN WARE FIGURE OF SHOULAO AND A BRONZE INCENSE BURNER AND COVER

A CHINESE SHIWAN WARE FIGURE OF SHOULAO AND A BRONZE INCENSE BURNER AND COVER

QING DYNASTY

The God of Longevity depicted holding his staff and a peach, with a vibrant purple glaze with lavender streaks decorating his robe, his head and hands left unglazed, the incense burner shaped as a water buffalo, the cover formed as a seated boy playing the flute, his hair tied in two buns, 27.8cm and 20.5cm, the incense burner and cover 1kg. (3)

Provenance: from the collection of Professor Ronald N Arnold (1908-1963) and thence by descent. Professor Arnold was Regius Professor of Engineering at Edinburgh University from 1947 until his death. Following ill health, in 1953 he began to collect Chinese porcelain in his free time, buying most of his pieces from small antique shops and auctioneers in Edinburgh and London. Through the art historian David Talbot-Rice, Professor Arnold became acquainted with several experts in the field of East Asian ceramics, including Sir Harry Garner and Soame Jenyns.