Japan and China. The compressed body of lobed form raised on three gilt slender waisted legs, flanked by twin mythical beast head handles pierced at the mouth, the sides with gilt quatrefoil panels decorated in relief depicting prunus, peony, and lotus sprays, all against a minutely ring-punched ground. The domed reticulated cover surmounted by a Buddhist lion seated on its haunches with a brocade ball under its paw.

Provenance: English trade. Acquired in an old private estate in Berkshire.
Condition: Good condition with expected old wear and casting irregularities. Tiny nicks, small losses along the rim, scattered scratches, and minor encrustations. Rubbing to gilt. The finial slightly loose.

Weight: 415.1 g (with cover)
Dimensions: Height 11.2 cm, Width 11.5 cm

Sawasa describes a distinctive style of metalwork produced in Asia during the 17th and 18th centuries. The base material was a copper-gold alloy, much like the Japanese shakudo. Sawasa articles usually appear in the form of all kinds of containers like tobacco boxes, but also cups and saucers, ewers, and other items for which the material is suited. The production of Sawasa items is primarily associated with Nagasaki, but various records suggest there was also production in both Canton (Guangzhou) and Tonkin (Hanoi). The clientele were mainly the Dutch colonial expat community, who commissioned these items for their own use and to some extent for trade with Europe.

Literature comparison:
In Robert D. Mowry, China's Renaissance in Bronze, Phoenix Art Museum, 1993, the author illustrates two bronze pieces, nos. 27 and 28, with the surface induced to create a dark, gunmetal gray finish. He dates these pieces to probably the mid- to late 18th century. He also illustrates a censer similar to the present lot, no. 29, which he dates the same way.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby's New York, 21 March 2015, lot 783
Price: USD 13,750 or approx. EUR 16,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A parcel-gilt bronze tripod censer and cover, Qing dynasty, probably 18th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of casting and gilt decoration. Also compare the similarities of the lids.