A LONGQUAN CELADON TRIPOD CENSER, SOUTHERN SONG DYNASTY China, 1127-1279. The compressed globular body molded with a raised rib at the shoulder connecting to three raised flanges running vertically from the shoulder to each conical foot. The straight neck supporting a flattened everted mouth rim, covered overall with a rich bluish sea-green glaze, thinning slightly over the rim and raised decoration and pooling at the recesses.

Provenance: Old French private collection and thence by descent within the same family to the present owner.
Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear and firing irregularities, such as dark spots and few pits. General shallow surface scratches.

Weight: 320.3 g
Dimensions: Diameter 10.5 cm, Height 8.2 cm

This shape, inspired by ancient bronze li, was produced during the Southern Song through the Yuan period for the domestic as well as the export market. The thick, translucent glaze is typical of this type of Southern Song Longquan ware, as is the lack of any decoration other than the flanges.

Literature comparison: Several Longquan celadon censers of the same shape are published, including several in renowned museum collections. Examples in the Tokyo National Museum and Percival David Foundation, London, are published in Oriental Ceramics, The World's Great Collections, Tokyo, 1982, vol. 1, no. 97, and vol. 6, no. 37, respectively. Others include the example by J. Ayers, The Baur Collection: Chinese Ceramics, vol. I, Geneva, 1972, no. A99; and the National Palace Museum, Taiwan, included in the Illustrated Catalogue of Sung Dynasty Porcelain, Taipei, 1974, no. 12. A larger example (19.7 cm. diam.), found in 1991 in Jinyu village of Nanqiong, Suining city, Sichuan province, is illustrated in Longquan Celadon: The Sichuan Museum Collection, Macau, 1998, pp. 210-11, no. 83.

Auction result comparison: Compare a closely related but larger (15 cm diameter) Longquan tripod censer, also dated to the Southern Song dynasty, at Christie’s Hong Kong in Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on 29 November 2017, lot 2992, sold for HKD 1,000,000, and another of slightly smaller size (12.9 cm) at Sotheby’s London in Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art on 6 November 2013, lot 231, sold for GBP 116,500.

南宋龍泉三足爐
中國，1127-1279年。 爐呈鬲形，下承三乳足，上飾凸棱，隱露胎色，形成出筋效果。爐身施海綠色釉，玲瓏端秀。

來源：法國私人老收藏，同一家族保存至今直至現任藏家。
品相：狀況極佳，有輕微磨損和燒製不規則現象，例如黑點和少量凹坑。 表面淺划痕。

重量：320.3 克
尺寸：直徑10.5 厘米, 高8.2 厘米

拍賣結果比較：一件相近的但稍大 (直徑15 厘米) 的龍泉三足爐，同樣為南宋，于香港佳士得Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art 2017年11月29日 lot 2992, 售價HKD 1,000,000, 另一件 (12.9 厘米) 于倫敦蘇富比 Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art 2013年11月6日 lot 231, 售價GBP 116,500。