Song Dynasty Longquan Celadon Sky-Blue Glazed Gui Censer with Twin Dragon Handles (10th-13th Century A.D.)

拍品描述

Dimensions：Full width 18.2cm (7.17 in), height 8.6cm (3.39 in), 10th-13th Century A.D.Condition & Provenance：The censer is fully intact without cracks, chips or later restoration. Natural fine golden crackle glaze covers the entire interior and exterior. The glaze maintains a smooth, glossy finish, with undamaged glaze on rim, dragon handles and base foot. The russet brown unglazed foot rim retains original state with no artificial polishing, only faint natural burial patina accumulated over centuries. Provenance: Passed down privately by a veteran Hong Kong collector of pre-Yuan ceramics. Acquired at Toronto Asian Antique Art Fair in 1998, preserved within one family for three generations. This piece was only displayed in private themed exhibitions of Song celadon and has never been consigned to public auctions.Description：This Gui-shaped incense burner is a classic archaistic ritual vessel crafted at Longquan kiln during China’s Song Dynasty, reimagining the form of Shang-Zhou bronze Gui censers. It served as a core furnishing for scholar’s studio incense burning and ancient sacrificial rituals in Song times. The vessel features a flared wide mouth, narrow neck, rounded bulging belly and short neat ring foot. A pair of symmetrical carved chilong dragon handles flank both sides, with distinct facial features, curled horns and protruding eyes; the loop-shaped handles attach seamlessly to the belly, carved with fluid, restrained lines that embody the subtle, elegant aesthetic of Song-era sculpture. Thick, uniform sky-blue celadon glaze coats every surface inside and out, featuring milky, velvety texture and soft understated luster. Dense natural golden crackle weaves across the whole piece, forming an intricate layered network of fissures that stands as the signature natural texture of Longquan celadon. The hollow interior carries identical glaze and crackle patterns matching the exterior, free of any post-production decorative work. The ring foot is trimmed to expose raw clay, creating a distinct russet brown iron-red rim. The compact, solid clay body bears full sky-blue crackle glaze on the base center without inscribed marks, fully matching standard Song Longquan firing techniques. Archaistic bronze-form censers from Song Longquan kilns are extremely scarce. Well-preserved complete examples with twin dragon handles and fully covered crackle glaze are extraordinarily rare. It seamlessly combines the solemn ritual shape of ancient bronze wares with the serene, soft celadon glaze of Song porcelain, serving as a landmark artifact that unites Song archaic ceramic craft, literati aesthetics and traditional incense culture. It is highly sought-after by collectors of early Chinese celadon in Hong Kong, New York and California USA, holding immense value for archaeological research, interior display and long-term investment collection.

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