Qing Dynasty|Well cast in the form of a fish with sharp dorsal spines along the back to the tail, supported upright by its fins and a tasselled chord held from its mouth, the detachable cover in the form of a dragon's head with large glass eyes, flaring snout and finely incised mane and whiskers, inscribed with a ten-character inscription on the base of the censer. 17.2cm (6 3/4in) high. (2).|清 銅魚龍幻化薰爐Provenance: a distinguished European private collection來源： 顯貴歐洲私人收藏The inscription reads:'莫道長潛水，飛騰也有時', which may be translated as:'None long dive under water, now and then swiftly soaring'. See a similar bronze dragon-fish incense burner and cover, Qianlong, in the Phoenix Art Museum, Arizona (acc.no.1994.425.A). A very similar bronze dragon-fish incense burner and cover, dated as late Ming dynasty, was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 4 April 2017, lot 63.