Xuande seven-character mark, 18th century|Thickly cast with a raised edge to the stepped rim, a waisted neck on a compressed globular body raised on three short waisted feet, the base centered with a recessed reserve bearing a seven-character mark reading Da Ming Xuande wu nian zao in three rows of standard script (wear and discoloration from use).|5 3/4in (14.5cm) diameter|ProvenanceRoy Maxwell Talbot (1880-1963);then by descent through his familyRoy Maxwell Talbot (1880 -1963) began his career in the Chinese Maritime Customs in 1908. He served as Commissioner of Customs from 1935 until 1938, when he became Audit Secretary in the Inspectorate General's Office. He was in that position until 1942. He served in Canton, Icheng, Nanking, Shanghai, Harbin, Swatow, Kongmoon, Aigun, Antung, Changsha, Amoy and Kunming. In July 1932, Talbot was arrested by Japanese officials in Antung, Manchuria for refusing to hand over the Chinese customs revenues. In 1941 he was held in the Bridge House, an infamous dungeon, for 42 days. Talbot's detention by the Japanese created an international incident. Newspapers around the world carried headlines of an arrest of an 'American' employed by the Chinese.The seven-character mark on this center containing a date of Xuande fifth year (1430) is quite unusual. The 1430 date is usually found on censers associated with the early Ming official Wu Bangzuo: for a bronze censer with sixteen-character mark identifying him as superintendent of the Board of Public Works during Xuande fifth year, see Bonhams Sam Francisco sale 21034, 19 December 2013, lot 6487. An eighteen-character inscription on other censer recording his supervision of a censer cast for the Great Sacrifice in 1430 was sold in Bonhams, London sale 23238, 10 November 2016, lot 91.