A large embellished bronze incense burner and cover


18th centurySet on three elephant head feet, the body flanked with further elephant head handles, modelled with stylised raised trunks, the burner and cover cast with lotus blooms amongst densely scrolling leafy stems, the finial modelled as a recumbent elephant supporting a stemmed vessel containing Precious Objects, the elephants all with elaborate trappings with glass insets.42cm (16.1/2in) high. (2).
|ProvenanceA French Private Collection.The elephant (xiang) is a pun for 'sign'; the phrase 'taiping youxiang' ('when there is peace, there are signs') is represented by an elephant carrying (dai) a vase (ping) on its back. During the Qing Dynasty elephants carrying vases on their backs appeared in processions celebrating the emperor's birthday.