A RARE CHINESE BAMBOO 'BUDDHIST LION' INCENSE BURNER

A RARE CHINESE BAMBOO 'BUDDHIST LION' INCENSE BURNER
17TH CENTURY

The mythical beast seated on its haunches with a reticulated brocade ball in its front paw and a puppy on its back, its bushy tail raised and its head turned back, the bulging eyes inlaid with shell and horn bringing to life the fierce expression on its face, the underside of the belly secured by a pin and opening to reveal a hollow interior, 24.2cm. (2)

Cf. L Tam, Chinese Bamboo Carving, Part I, pp.342-351, nos.104-108, for comparable bamboo carvings of Buddhist lions with similar stylistic features, including the inlaid eyes. These examples however, are carved in the round, while the present lot has been creatively worked as an incense burner. Its removable belly acts as a cover to its hollow body, in which incense can be placed, to waft out of the beast's gaping fangs and flared nostrils. This construction sets the present lot apart as a rarity, related to the example sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 1st June 2011, lot 3864.

十七世紀 竹雕瑞獅戲球香薰