Incense burner with dragon, phoenix, and sea creatures
The surface of this incense burner is decorated with mythical creatures moving in and out of the waves in high relief. Combining the techniques of openwork and relief, its lid features a dragon and phoenix soaring among clouds. In the late Ming dynasty, connoisseurs praised the perfect casting of imperial bronzes made in the Xuande era (1426–35). The artist here added a Xuande mark to its bottom as an attempt to imitate the legendary bronzes.
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