Lot 281
RARE CHINESE BLUE AND WHITE 'SEVEN SAGES' TRIPOD INCENSE BURNER, TONGLU
MING DYNASTY, CHONGZHEN PERIOD
Auction: 07 November 2025 from 10:00 GMT
Description
明崇禎 青花竹林七賢筒爐
the straight sides raised on three bracket feet, finely painted in a bamboo grove with four seated scholars discussing a shanshui landscape scroll painting, two others engaging in a conversation, the reverse with a scholar arriving with his boy attendant carrying a wrapped qin
Dimensions
10.2cm diameter
Provenance
J.A.N. Fine Art, London; acquired from a professor at Kyoto University, Japan, who has been collecting Oriental Art for over 50 years.
倫敦骨董商J.A.N. Fine Art；購自京都大學一收藏家教授，其收藏東方骨董藝術逾五十載。
Footnote
Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove were a renowned group of Chinese scholars, poets, and musicians from the late Wei and Jin dynasty (circa 3rd century AD) who sought refuge from the political turmoil and social constraints of their time by retreating to a life of artistic and intellectual freedom in the natural seclusion of a bamboo grove. For related blue and white wares painted with this motif, all dated to the Ming dynasty, Chongzhen period, see an important and large brush pot, previously in the Marsh collection, sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 27 November 2024, lot 8; Another large brushpot, sold at Sotheby's New York, 19 March 2024, lot 324; and a vase, sold at Bonhams London, 12 May 2016, lot 41.
Also compare to a very rare blue and white tripod incense burner, tonglu, painted with Luohan, Ming dynasty, Chongzhen period, sold at Bonhams London, 10 November 2016, lot 30; See a comparable ‘drunken scholar’ tonglu, Ming dynasty, Chongzhen period, sold in this saleroom, 4 November 2022, lot 155.
竹林七賢為魏末晉初的七位名士。他們為避政治紛擾與社會束縛，寄情山林，於竹林間追求藝術與思想自由，成為中國文人理想隱逸生活的象徵。
以竹林七賢爲題材，明崇禎年間製造之青花器，可參一例青花筆海，Marsh夫婦舊藏，2024年11月27日售於香港邦瀚斯，拍品8；另參件筆筒，2024年3月19日售於紐約蘇富比，拍品324；及一葫蘆瓶，2016年5月12日售於倫敦邦瀚斯，拍品41。
另參一例珍稀明崇禎青花羅漢紋三足筒爐，2016年11月10日售於倫敦邦瀚斯，拍品30；再參一件明崇禎青花高士醉酒三足筒爐，2022年11月4日售於本拍場，拍品155。