(From the collection of George Forrest, lots 37-41) LARGE BRONZE 'CHI DRAGON' TRIPOD CENSER QIANQING GONG MARK, QING DYNASTY, 18TH-19TH CENTURY 清 乾清宮款 銅螭龍耳三足大爐impressively cast with wide rounded body raising to a ridge underneath waisted neck and everted flattened mouth, all on three cabriole feet, both sides with theatrically arched chi-dragons clinging to the mouth and body as handles in high relief, the base cast with recessed medallion centred with a three-character ‘Qian Qing Gong’ mark enclosed by a band of dragon amongst crashing waves 34cm wide across handles; 5.56kg From the collection of George Forrest (13 March 1873 - 5 January 1932). George Forrest was an important Scottish botanist born in Falkirk. In 1904, he was sponsored by a horticulturist and cotton broker- Arthur Kilpin Bulley (1861-1942), to embark on an expedition to China's then-remote southwestern province of Yunnan, in search of plants new to horticulture in Europe, particularly species of rhododendron. Altogether, Forrest made seven trips to the region, ranging as far afield as upper Burma, eastern Tibet and Sichuan province. In 1932, he passed away just outside of the town of Tengchong, previously known as Tengyue or Tengyueh.His Asian Art collection was partially donated to the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. This censer was on loan for decades, loan number ‘A.L.331.3’, with an associated museum tag label tied on one foot inscribed ‘Loan 331/3’, further with two associated museum cardboard labels with item details, loan number ‘L.331.3’ and ‘Lent by Mr. George Forrest, Edinburgh, 1929’, deaccessioned in 2023, thence by direct descent. The old photograph shows Mr Forrest outside the China Inland Mission Moongate in Dali, taken around 1905.We would like to express our gratitude to 'George Forrest / Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’ for providing the old photograph and its information. Qianqing Gong, The Palace of Heavenly Purity, or Qianqing Palace (乾清宫) is a palace in the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. It is the largest of the three halls of the Inner Court, located at the northern end of the Forbidden City. During the Qing dynasty, the palace often served as the Emperor's audience hall, where he held council with the Grand Council. Objects, especially censers, bearing Qianqing Gong mark are deemed similar to ‘Neitan Jiaoshe’ mark (內壇郊社, refers to the altar to Heaven and Earth within the inner walls of the Temple of Heaven) as Imperial wares adorning or used in their specific rooms. Compare to an example of a bronze tripod censer with chilong handles, Qing dynasty Qianlong period, with a different treatment of the ‘Qian Qing Gong’ mark, sold at China's Guardian, 19 May 2021, lot 4634. Stylistically, a comparable large bronze tripod censer with chilong handles, dated to the late Ming dynasty, note the similar treatment of the waisted band with ridge on the mouth, sold at Sotheby's London, 22 February 2022, lot 50; Two other censers with similar design on the mouth, dated to Ming and late Ming dynasty, were sold at Christie's London, 18 Mar 2015, lot 686 and Sotheby's London, 10 November 2017, lot 366.
