A RARE GILT-SPLASHED BRONZE ‘THREE HARES’ CENSER, 17TH-18TH CENTURYChina. Heavily cast, supported on three short feet, ofpressed globular form with three hare’s heads, each flanked with two long ears and neatly incised with almond shaped eyes, a curling mouth, and fur framing the neck, the exterior finely embellished with irregular gilt splashes.Provenance: Wiltshire, United Kingdom, local trade. By repute acquired from a private estate.Condition: Good condition with old wear and casting flaws as expected, remnants of ancient varnish, few small nicks and dents, light scratches. An old circular fill to the top side, probably inherent to manufacture. Naturally grown patina overall.Weight: 1,044 gDimensions: Length 16.7 cmThe three hares is a circular motif appearing in sacred sites in East Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. It has been used as an architectural ornament, a religious symbol, and in modern works of art. The three hares first appear in theMogao Caves in Dunhuang, but over the centuries the iconography slowly spread towards the West. They next appear on early 13th-century Mongol metalwork, and on a copper coin, found in Iran, dated to 1281. Then they are found again on a 14th-century box, later used as a reliquary, made in Iran under Mongol rule, and now preserved in the treasury of the Cathedral of Trier in Germany. On its base, the casket has Islamic designs, and originally featured two images of the three hares, one later lost through damage. Thereafter, it eventually occurs with the greatest frequency in the churches of Devon, England, where it appears to be a recollection of earlier Insular design, such as the Romano-British designs which are known from Celtic (La Tène) metalwork. The main theory pertaining to the dissemination of the motif is that it was transported from China across Asia and as far as the southwest of England via designs found on expensive Oriental ceramics by merchants traveling the Silk Road. According to researchers, the ‘three hares’ is an auspicious symbol that represents peace and tranquility.Auction resultparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 6 April 2015, lot 155Price: HKD 425,000 or approx.EUR 59,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A gilt-splashed bronze censer, Qing dynasty, 18th centuryExpert remark:pare the related form, gilt splashes, zoomorphic design, and size (16.8 cm). Note the apocryphal Xuande mark.十七至十八世紀罕見灑金三兔爐中國。三足爐，球形，三個兔首，每個側面有兩只長耳朵，杏仁形眼睛，捲曲的嘴巴，頸部毛皮細膩刻畫，外壁不規則灑金。