Imperial Chinese lidded tripod censer with Ming cloisonne and Qing metalwork. The inside is lacquered, and the body is decorated with beautiful scrolling and floral decorations throughout, set on three elephant-form legs and surmounted by a foo dog finial. Finely incised with a four character Ming "Jing Tai" mark along the underside. This censer used to be with a pair of handles; however, the joints have now been filled. A similar censer can be seen in the Qing palace collection at the Gugong museum. It is quite likely to be from Qing court, as the assemblage of Ming cloisonne and Qing metalwork was common in the Qianlong period; many of these pieces were incised with Ming marks as well. The quality of metalwork and gilding in this piece is comparable to those in the Qing court collection.
Height: 7 in x diameter: 5 5/8 in. Missing handles; each side with a quarter-sized restoration to the cloisonne where the handles formerly were. Several areas of cracks, pitting, and losses to the cloisonne. No visible losses or repairs to the metal; several small dings and scratches to the surface throughout. Wear to the gilding. Wear and scratches to the lacquer along the interior; there are a few areas that have flaked on the underside of the lid. There is one area of oxidation spots along the inside of the censer. Wear and scratching to the underside of the censer. Wear to the lid; restorations to the cloisonne around the finial on the lid.