A CHINESE COPPER ALLOY ‘BA GUA’ AND 'BAJIXIANG' TRIPOD INCENSE BURNER

A CHINESE COPPER ALLOY ‘BA GUA’ AND 'BAJIXIANG' TRIPOD INCENSE BURNER
HU WENMING MARK, LATE MING/EARLY QING DYNASTY

Of cylindrical form rising from lion-mask feet, the exterior with a band of the ba gua, the Eight Trigrams, and the Eight Buddhist Emblems, within borders of further Buddhist emblems, the base inscribed Hu Wenming zhi, with a paper label for the Finer Collection 'CB 82', 560g, 9cm.

明晚期/清早期 銅八卦紋爐
《胡文明製》

The Eight Trigrams (ba gua), Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen and Dui, consist of broken and solid lines which represent yin and yang respectively. They were probably first used by ancient diviners and later developed into a system of philosophy. Each Trigram represents a natural force: heaven, marsh, fire, thunder, wind, water, mountain and earth. They also symbolise movement, emotions and human relationships and have been used in China to predict patterns and cycles in nature and humanity. The Bajixiang, or Eight Daoist Emblems, are the attributes of the Eight Daoist Immortals. They consist of the sword of Lu Dongbin, the fan of Zhong Liquan, the flower basket of Lan Caihe, the lotus of He Xiangu, the flute of Han Xiangzi, the gourd of Li Tieguai, the castanets of Cao Guojiu, and the drum of Zhang Guolao. They represent difficult conditions in life: poverty, wealth, aristocracy, plebeianism, age, youth, masculinity and femininity.

From the Finer Collection of later bronzes and hand warmers.